UKS Group were given permission to build 13 three-bedroom houses and one two-bedroom house.

But angry locals have pointed out that it has in fact built 13 four-beds and one three-bed homes in contravention of planning rules.

The homes, on the A38 on the outskirts of Bristol, are nearly finished and are being marketed by an estate agent, even though Bristol City Council has now confirmed they don’t have planning permission.

The homes are also considerably higher and larger than the planning permission stipulated in the planning documents.

Neighbours said alarm bells should have rung for local officials even before work started back in October last year – because the developers put up huge advertising hoardings on the main A38 marketing their ‘new development of 3&4 bedroom homes’.

Furious local residents say they have watched on amazed as the new homes were built much bigger than the developers had planning permission for, complete with dormer windows in the roofs which were not part of the original planning permission.

And they have now forced the authority’s planning department to admit that what has been built is so far removed from what UKS Group have planning permission for, that they will need to submit a new retrospective application.

That means the homes, which are now nearly finished and are being marketed by estate agents Goodman & Lilley as ‘a superb offering of three and four bedroom homes’ could be torn down before anyone ever lives in them.

Under the planning rules, the local Bristol Post newspaper reports, if councillors refuse planning permission, they have the power to force the developers to produce the homes of the size outline in their original proposal, imposing an even greater cost on the developer as it could mean the homes are knocked down and then actually rebuilt again.

The Bristol Post said although it had contacted both UKS Group and Goodman & Lilley estate agents about the development they did not receive a response.

A spokesperson for Bristol City Council said: “Planning permission was granted in February 2014 for a residential development of 14 dwellings.

“Development at the site was subsequently brought to the attention of the Local Planning Authority and an investigation was undertaken. It appeared that the dwellings were not being constructed in accordance with the planning permission and as such, the development is considered to be unauthorised in planning terms.

“A retrospective planning application has been submitted for consideration and letters will be sent to local residents about this very shortly. This will be assessed along with comments on the application and a decision will be made by the Council’s Development Control Committee,” he added.