New buyers are snapping up luxury homes in one of the most prestigious addresses in Brighton.

But many residents are still smarting over the controversial loss of the Tudor-style mansion which previously stood on the corner of Preston Park Avenue, Brighton.

Preston Place, in the heart of a conservation area, was bulldozed to make way for the four-storey apartment block, now called The Residence.

The mock Tudor mansion, built in the Thirties for the family who owned the Palace Pier, was a Brighton landmark because of its position on the main artery into the city.

Overlooking the rose garden at Preston Park, it was also famed for its clinging foliage which changed colour with the seasons.

Developers Berkeley Homes went to appeal twice before Brighton and Hove City Council gave permission to go ahead with the building.

The move unleashed a major row with local residents accusing the council of "lunacy".

The block's ground-floor show home was unveiled at a champagne reception and is now open for public viewing.

Six of the 30 apartments have already been sold. A percentage of the properties are affordable housing.

But, as the development nears completion, not everyone welcomes the new landmark.

Roger Amerena, chairman of the Montpelier and Clifton Hill Association, said: "My personal view is that the original house should never have been removed. We are unfortunately having the whole infrastructure of the urban part of the city disfigured by properties not in keeping with the original design or layout of suburban areas.

"Preston Park Avenue was an important residential road after the Stanford family sold it to the town. The buildings should be in keeping with existing properties in Preston Park Avenue."

Mr Amerena said it was important to enhance the look and feel of the park and its surrounding area, especially as English Heritage gave money for the park's Rotunda cafe to be restored.

However, he added: "On a technical point, we do have a need for more housing and there was only one house on an acre-plus site.

"The design for this building is better than the replacement property on the old Endeavour site up the road. This developer has come up with an interesting design."

John Small, secretary of the Regency Society, said: "I was always fairly strongly against the development because of its overall scale and its relationship to the conservation area.

"It is a very prominent site and it is much bulkier than other buildings around it.

"It still has scaffolding up but I can't believe a building of that bulk on that site could have been designed with such extra skill and care to make it in keeping with a conservation area."

The two-bedroom Residence apartments, which come complete with kitchen fittings, terrace or balcony, under-floor heating and energy-saving lights, range in price from £295,000 to £500,000.

Sheila Slater, who has been showing prospective buyers around the Fifties-themed show apartment, said: "We've had a lot of interest from people moving down from London, from people already renting in Brighton and wanting to put down roots and from people who are down-sizing.

"They like the fact that it overlooks the park, it's handy for the city and for Preston Park station and it has underground parking."

Councillor Carol Theobald, who opposed the development, said: "It was a shame to lose a historic building that blended so well with the area. People should build on brownfield sites elsewhere rather than knock down beautiful homes."