BULLDOZERS have today reduced a house bought just two months ago for £1,520,000 to a pile of rubble.Stowe House in Cliff Road - one of the most expensive homes ever sold in Felixstowe - was one of houses which gave the clifftops their distinctive character and community leaders had not wanted to see it vanish.

BULLDOZERS have today reduced a house bought just two months ago for £1,520,000 to a pile of rubble.

Stowe House in Cliff Road - one of the most expensive homes ever sold in Felixstowe - was one of houses which gave the clifftops their distinctive character and community leaders had not wanted to see it vanish.

But the 1930s detached marine-style property was not listed, and now its site will be used for ten self-contained flats, all with seaviews, expected to sell for about £500,000 apiece.

It is one of several larger homes standing in big grounds in the town which are under threat from developers and was sold at auction in May. The buyers, understood to be from Essex, have declined to be named.

The five-bed house stood in a three-quarter of an acre site with panoramic views over the sea, countryside and Felixstowe Ferry.

The new flats will be in three storeys with a total floorspace of 1,190 sq metres. Architect Robert Allerton has produced an indicative drawing of what the flats could look like.

At the time it was built, Stowe House was surrounded by fields and was one of only a couple of houses on the clifftop. It still had its own Nissen Hut from the war years as well as lot of original features.

It was sold to Thomas and Isobel Duff at auction in 1965 for £10,600. It was put on the market in 1979 for £49,500 but had not sold. This time it was sold by the beneficiaries of the late Mrs Duff.

Councillors have vowed to do all they can to protect the resort's character and not lose historical and architecturally important buildings.

“We really didn't want to see Stowe House demolished because it is an important part of Felixstowe and its history and was the original showhouse for the whole of the then projected development of the clifftops in the 1930s,” said Andy Smith, chairman of the town plans committee.

“In Felixstowe we have a huge number of potential candidates where houses could be lost for redevelopment and we have to keep a very careful and close eye on each planning application.”

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What do you think of the demolition of large houses and use of the land for flats and smaller homes - is it ruining the character of our towns? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN, or e-mail EveningStarLetters@eveningstar.co.uk