A row has broken out over new Shoreham seafront homes which have been built ten inches taller than planned.

Adur District Council approved the proposal to demolish two bungalows and create four three-storey properties in Old Fort Road, in January 2012.

However, locals have expressed concerns after planners discovered the buildings are 260mm taller than permitted.

Just days before a new planning application is considered, dozens of residents have renewed their opposition to the scheme adding it will lead to greater invasion of privacy.

Dawn Clenton-Sparey, of The Meadway, said she thought the developer was “running rings around the council”.

She said: “There is a repeated problem on the beach with more and more plots being replaced with two builds.

“We have had no contact whatsoever from this developer.

“They have sought no compromise until this height discrepancy was picked up by the council’s planning department - who advised the developers to cease working but to resubmit a new application.

“But the builders have continued to work pretty much daily since.”

The height problem has been caused due to human error as work started on a high slab level than approved.

Planning papers also show that construction started in the wrong place.

This means the back of the properties are now 10.8 metres away from those behind it rather than the approved 11 metres.

A decision on a revised plan will be taken at a meeting of Adur District Council’s planning committee on Tuesday at 7pm.

Officers have recommended the plans are approved adding it will not “materially alter the relationship between the existing and new dwellings”.

Five letters of support for the revised scheme have been received with immediate neighbours adding they did not want the area to be become a protracted building site.

But Mrs Clenton-Sparey said she felt the problems could be averted by not including roof terraces.

She added: “It’s not just the ten inches. All doors and windows are now higher creating an additional feeling of being more overlooked with a further loss of privacy.

“We now have no view of sky from our lounge.”