APARTMENTS planned for a former hotel site in Poole will now all be made available to people on the housing register.

Initially Arndale Court Hotel in Wimborne Road was due to be replaced with 21 apartments and six holiday flats.

However new proposals agreed by Poole council's planning committee mean all 27 apartments will now be social housing.

The plans involve the partial demolition of the hotel and the erection of a three storey building with car parking, vehicle access off Denmark Lane and a detached cycle bin store.

Planning permission had already been given in June 2016 for the demolition of the existing hotel, which is set to close in November, and erection of a block of 21 apartments and six holiday flats.

But at a meeting on Thursday councillors unanimously agreed to grant planning permission for the latest proposals, which no longer include the six holiday flats and will secure all of the 27 apartments as affordable housing.

Cllr Peter Pawlowski, chairman of the planning committee, said: “The committee welcomed the additional social rented accommodation this development would provide, particularly as the homes would be offered at 80 per cent of market rent rates in order to support those in housing need.”

Arndale Court Hotel was taken on by the current owners in 1989. With the purchase of neighbouring buildings, it was expanded from 16 bedrooms to the current 39 bed hotel.

Described as a businessman's hotel, the applicants state that it survived for year mainly on RNLI and Barclays custom - but Barclays has "virtually no hotel bed requirements and the RNLI have their own 60 bedroom hotel."

Several new hotels have also been developed in the area including the 145 bedroom Premiere Inn Holes Bay.

The hotel was placed on the market in 2013 for £1.6million but failed to sell.

Cllr Karen Rampton, cabinet portfolio holder for housing and community services, said: "Enabling the development of affordable housing in Poole is a top priority for the council and this scheme will help provide 27 urgently needed properties.

"Now planning permission has been received we look forward to these new homes being built."

Number 60 Wimborne Road - a semi detached property which contains eight ensuite bedrooms - is not included in the application and would be retained as a small B&B hotel.