A 70-year-old church in Southampton may soon be demolished to make way for four apartments.

The Development Applications Board has approved plans to change the use of St. Andrew?s Church on Horseshoe Road, despite the objections of resident Raymond Todd and 25 other concerned individuals.

St. Anne?s Church applied for in-principle planning permission to change the use of its mission church, St. Andrew?s, from a social institutional building into apartments.

In January churchwarden Kirk Davis authorised developers CTX to submit plans in connection with St. Anne?s Church.

But in April petitioners wrote to the DAB saying: ?We feel the building should remain as a church that can better serve the community?.

?Bermuda has got to the extent now that people don?t have interest except to rap about what?s going down,? Mr. Todd, 75, said yesterday.

?If you ask them to do something, they say they don?t have time.

?Times ago, most of the people who were active in the church were black people because they were not allowed in the bigger churches.?

He said people went to St. Andrew?s because they were not allowed to sing in the choir, give collection or sit in the front pews of other churches 70 years ago.

Joe Lambert, a member of the old church-led brigade, flew in from his home in Canada to say good bye this week.

?He heard about the church in Canada and flew down because it meant so much to him,? Mr. Todd said.

?He was only here for a few days and is gone now.?

He said he was disappointed that St. Anne?s wanted to demolish the church when the Horseshoe Road community could use a community centre for young people.

Although he helped to build the nearby Southampton Rangers grounds, he thought it was a disgrace to see young children running out of the club.

Yesterday Archdeacon Andrew Doughty said he was aware that the vestry of St. Anne?s had planned to develop that site, however, he said the plan will not only have to pass through the Department Planning but also the Church.

?As far as I am aware, the plan has not gone through all the permissions,? Rev. Doughty said.

?There is a civic process and a church process. The plans must go through a subcommittee of the synod.

?Any development of a church site requires written permission of the synod. This one is only at the beginning of the process.?

Mr. Davis said yesterday: ?One likes to explore all of the options, but beyond that this is only part of our ongoing interest to serve the community.?

He encouraged Mr. Todd to speak with him about their plans.

St. Andrew?s has been empty since last September when its previous tenant moved out.

Mr. Davis denied that St. Anne?s wanted to demolish St. Andrews.

?We have no thoughts beyond the present application,? he said.

?We are exploring our options.?