What on earth have our neighbours done to their £470K house? Fake grass, an ugly paint job - it looks like a Miller & Carter Steakhouse

A house painted an 'ugly' colour with garden covered in gravel and fake grass has been compared to a 'Miller and Carter Steakhouse restaurant'.

Locals have slammed the £470k semi-detached in Worcester as 'cheap and tacky'  after it was given an 'absolutely monstrous' makeover.

Picnic furniture on the front garden has seen compared to the popular BBQ chain while others have called it a 'cheerless suburban pub' and a 'mini Wormwood Scrubs Prison'.

The five-bedroom home first attracted the ire of the community when the owner applied for planning permission from Worcester City Council for an extension last year.

Councillors admitted they could not object just because they thought it was 'hideous' and 'pretty ugly'.

Cllr Pat Agar said: ‘I think a lot of us think it looks pretty ugly. I don’t think we can refuse it because we think it’s ugly, but it certainly is ugly.’

While another Councillor, Owen Cleary said: ‘I just want to go on record to say that I think it is absolutely monstrous and hideous but I’m not sure we can actually refuse it.’

Now, the owners of the student-packed house, want to increase its size by an extra third with a two-story extension to the side, making it a seven-bed.

Council planners turned down the application on the grounds that there would be insufficient garden space for those living there, but developers Bidsid have appealed the decision .

While councillors were united on their distaste for the home's design, neighbours are divided.

Retired banker Donald Symonds, 87, said: 'I wouldn't want it for myself. It's the colour that is so horrible – totally out of keeping with the area where most of the houses are light in shade.

'It looks cheap and tacky to me. I certainly wouldn't want it growing any bigger.'

Lynne Jones, 67, a retired hotel receptionist, took greater exception to the students than the look of the house: 'I do not find it ugly as much as weird. Extending it would just add yet more students to the area.

'It is just a nightmare with students on my road. They have total disregard for the residents around here. They all have cars. They don't give way and they drive too fast.

Another local Ros Marlow, 73, said: 'I wouldn't like it for myself but it's not too bad. I think it's the colour that makes it stand out but I have seen others just like it on the main road. It may be becoming a thing. I wouldn't say hideous, just different.'

Neighbour Richard Redwood, 82, a landlord himself, said: 'I do not regard it as ugly. In fact I think they did a reasonable job. Lots of the houses around here are different.

'I think a two-story extension would be out of proportion but I expect the developer to win and the Council to lose on appeal.

'Worcester planners are not known for being fussy. A lot of dodgy housing has gone through. There are blocks on Bath Road that look as bad as anything I saw in East Germany when I was there.'

Suzanne, 36, who lives in the semi attached to it with her four children, said: 'I was brought up around here and you would like to think the Council would keep things in some sort of line.

'This is obviously not fitting in with the area but it is their house and they can do what they like to it. It's not the nicest but each to their own.

'My problem is more noise. I have had to ring the University security four times about the noise. One they were partying in there until 11.15 then they went out and come in around 4.30am and woke us all up.

'I went round the next morning and woke their whole house up. I won't put up with it. If it becomes seven bed then that will get worse and I don't know where they would all park.'

And a 45 year old woman who works in the Pet Shop opposite said: 'It is a free for all when it comes to the look of your house and around here we have all sorts.

'This one is actually much better than what was there before which was totally overgrown. I just don't understand why all the fencing they had put in got ripped out. That is odd.'

But while residents disagree about the houses dark façade - the same cannot be said for everyone.

After a picture of the house was shared on a local architecture account on X, formerly known as Twitter, it was slammed by followers.

One said: 'Looks like a mini Wormwood Scrubs Prison to me.'

Another commented: 'Truly depressing.'

A third said: 'Probably more life in the green wheelie bin than that 'lawn''

A fourth joked: 'They couldn't find grey grass?'

A fifth wrote: 'That's a nice little beer garden just for you and your three mates with identical haircuts.'

Another replied: 'Looks like a Miller & Carter Steakhouse.'

Bidvid has been approached for comment by MailOnline.