Heritage aspects of one of Queensland's oldest bowls clubs have been moved after Brisbane City Council issued a heritage exemption certificate permitting the changes, devastating local residents.

Yeronga Bowls Club is on Brisbane's local heritage list, protecting the club itself from development, but half the club's land was sold to property developers Lennium Group in March 2017.

The former Macgregor Green had workers on-site on Tuesday.

The oldest bowling green on the site, Macgregor Green, was sold to the developers, who submitted an application to the council for a five-storey apartment building.

Council rejected the development, and Lennium appealed the refusal in the planning and environment court.