A LUXURY Poole home worth millions of pounds is being demolished to make way for flats, despite being only 10 years old.

And neighbours now fear the move could spark a flood of new developments in the area.

Building workers are currently dismantling the three-storey house called "Brooklyn" on Bingham Avenue in Lilliput to clear the site for a new apartment block.

A nearby resident commented: "The house was only built in 1997 and now it is being smashed up. It was a lovely house and they are knocking it down. I've never seen anything like it before.

"It must have been worth around £2.5m to £3m."

Borough of Poole council granted permission for a new development of nine flats on the site last year, despite opposition from nearby residents who complained the apartment block could set a precedent.

Fresh plans for a block of 11 flats on the same site have now also been submitted by Poole developers Towncourt Homes.

Neighbours had feared the move to put flats on the site would "irrevocably alter the character of the area", saying there were no other apartment blocks in Bingham Avenue, which features mainly large family homes.

One objector added: "It would be absurd to knock down a recently built home of architectural merit."

Other objections to the plans included loss of privacy and increased traffic risks.

But council officers using delegated powers gave the go-ahead to the original proposals last November, and work has now begun on dismantling the house.

A spokesman for Towncourt Homes declined to comment.

Earlier this month, the Daily Echo reported how a seven-year-old house on Lakeside Road in Branksome Park worth an estimated £1m was demolished to make way for new four- and five-bedroom houses.

The same developer, Seven Developments Limited from Poole, has also gained permission to demolish the existing house at 3 Bingham Avenue and put up two detached houses instead.