CONTROVERSIAL plans to replace a Poole home with two five-storey blocks of flats have been approved.

Concerns had been raised that the Crichel Mount Road scheme was “beyond laughable”, with criticism of its scale.

But BCP Council’s planning committee voted to grant planning permission last week, saying the development was justified given the previous approval to build four houses on the site.

The application was submitted by Westcoast Developments last year, proposing the demolition of the house at 10 Crichel Mount Road to make way for two blocks each of seven flats.

It followed the decision of Poole council to approve the construction of four houses on the site in 2017.

The developer said this justified further “intensification” of the land for the use of flats and that the latest proposal complied with all council policies.

This position was backed by council planning officer Monika Kwiatkowska who recommended permission be granted, saying the contribution of extra housing outweighed any harm the development would cause.

But more than 40 letters of objection were submitted to the council, including one from Deborah Pulis, the wife of football manager Tony Pulis, who lives next door.

“I am amazed that 14 flats and up to 28 cars could ever fit into such a small plot of land,” Mrs Pulis said.

“I have no concerns of a more modest development taking place.

“The present application is beyond laughable. I strongly suggest that this application is refused.”

The objectors were backed by ward councillor Mohan Iyengar when the proposals were discussed by the council’s planning committee on Thursday.

But councillors said many of the points that had been raised were not reasons to refuse the scheme and instead agreed to approve it.

“A lot of the discussions that have been put forward are moot points,” councillor Toby Johnson said. “We cannot second guess whether constructors will do there job properly.

“There’s not enough difference to the extant plans to reject this.”

He was backed by councillor Steve Baron who said concerns about construction traffic parking in the area while the flats were built were not reasonable.

Planning permission was granted by nine votes to four.