A ‘cut off’ community where bus routes have been slashed was dealt another blow when controversial plans to demolish a “much loved” community pub got the go ahead.

The Dell in Prenton, Birkenhead, is set to be knocked down and replaced with 28 affordable housing units and a car park, despite fierce opposition from neighbours and councillors who warned it could put “livelihoods” at risk .

At a planning meeting in Wallasey Town Hall on Thursday, objectors complained about the ‘ugly’ design of the building, insufficient parking and roads not being fit for the additional volume in traffic.

Pleading with the planning committee to reject the proposals, local councillor Tony Norbory said: “This is the knocking down of a really loved community pub that’s going to be replaced with a massive tower block that’s going to over shadow the whole of the area.

“My major concern is the traffic concern. Public transport is being reduced all the time in Prenton.

“People are having a lot of difficulty because there is no railway station in walking distance. The nearest one is Rock Ferry which is two or three miles away. Unless they have got a vehicle residents are finding it very hard to access fresh food and medical attention and also the social side of things.

“Parking space for 28 cars within the grounds is fine, but what about people who are visiting the area? School drop off and pick up time is an absolute nightmare. There is a lot of anti-social behaviour regarding that and this will only make it worse.

“The roads are not built for the volumes of traffic coming through, which is being made worse by the absence of public transport. ”

Cllr Norbury was one of 118 people who made representations opposing the plans.

The Dell opened on Prenton Hall Road in the 1960s and is considered a landmark by many.

People from the Prenton Tenants and Residents’ Association (PTRA) said there had been a lack of consultation over the proposals – and that if they had been asked, the community may have been able to buy it themselves.

Voicing objections last night, Chairman of the association Alan Dollery, said: “We are all aware of the need for affordable homes and that the government has set a target for each council to meet. However one of our main objections is the excessive number of flats and the dimensions, which would swallow up a huge area of what is currently common space.”

The association asked for the plans to be objected, but said if they must be approved, then it should be in the form of a three-storey block, and not four – or a collection of bungalows instead.

Supporting the idea of an alternative proposal, local councillor Samantha Frost, who is on the planning committee, said the proposed design could cast a “huge shadow” over the area, which could threaten the local high street and put livelihoods at risk.

However, the plans were approved by ten votes to four after other members of the planning committee expressed fears they would loose an appeal if they rejected the proposals.

The news is likely to come as a further blow to residents, who have seen a number of vital bus routes axed over the last year and have complained about feeling isolated and cut off.

Defending the housing proposals, applicant Onward Homes say it meets the need for quality affordable housing, with seven units being designed for the elderly or people with mobility issues.

The housing association say replacing a pub with homes will reduced anti-social behaviour, and insist the layout has been designed to minimise the impact on surrounding properties and the local community.