APPROVAL has been granted for the demolition of the Wessex Hotel.

Despite controversy of the loss of the current hotel's large ballroom, developer Inland Homes has been granted permission to replace the building in West Cliff Road, Bournemouth, with three separate blocks.

One, in an art deco style, will house a new 215-bed hotel, while the others will include 88 flats, with underground parking.

The council's planning board had deferred the scheme for revisions to include extra hotel beds and better community space.

A report by planning officers said the revised scheme offered "high quality" hotel accommodation, although ward councillor Nick Rose disagreed.

"It screams out budget hotel," he said.

Members raised several concerns with the scheme.

Cllr Stephen Bartlett said: "I understand residential accommodation can be associated with a tourism site to facilitate a hotel or whatever, but to me, looking at this, it has got a hotel facilitating development of a huge amount of residential accommodation."

Cllr Laurence Fear said: "I feel we have missed a trick with this application.We could have had a flagship building here."

Some users of the hotel ballroom again addressed the board to express their dismay at its proposed closure, however members were again informed by officers that this was not a planning matter.

Summing up, board chairman David Kelsey said: "I appreciate all the work of local residents, and I understand their frustrations, but we do have several facilities around the town."

He asked Cllr Gina Mackin, who sits on the board for BHLive, to suggest the prices at the Pavilion ballroom be reviewed.

Inland Homes has claimed the scheme is a partial restoration of the site to its appearance at the start of the previous century, when it hosted three villas on separate plots.

The company claims the hotel is not viable in its current form, and its sprawling size makes it expensive to maintain.

The board was informed it barely covers its operating costs.