ECO-homes at Northwick Marina were built eight metres away from where they should have been.

New retrospective planning permission is now being sought for the two bungalows.

The homes were built by the River Severn, near the Northwick Slip footpath, after planning approval was granted by Worcester City Council.

But concerns about the development led to the council’s enforcement team questioning whether the homes had been built in the right place.

ACCESS: The bungalows share a driveway with a floating houseACCESS: The bungalows share a driveway with a floating house (Image: Carabella Properties)

A topographical survey showed they had been built north of the approved position, outside of the boundary lines used in applications approved in both 2017 and 2019.

Developer Carabella Properties applied for a non-material amendment last year - a type of planning application used to make minor adjustments to an approved scheme.

But this was rejected by planners, who said the bungalows would instead need to be the subject of a new, full retrospective planning application.

That has now been submitted by Carabella, which says in its application: “One property is now occupied as a permanent dwelling and the other is used as a holiday cottage.

“The developers believed they had built the dwellings in accordance with the 2019 planning permission, and it was never their intention to do otherwise.”

It says a number of applications to remove planning conditions attached to the original approval were made in 2020 and that it believes these were “properly discharged, although the council’s website does not provide details”.

The developer blames “the initial Covid 19 lockdown” for the lack of a paper trail.

The retrospective application describes the homes as eco-style bungalows with three bedrooms including an en-suite and balconies, studies, with open-plan living areas plus green roofs.

Access to the two properties is shared with that of the floating house built just north of the site.

Some residents have already objected to the new plans, citing concerns over the Slip footpath which has been closed since 2021.

Caroline Passey also said granting retrospective permission would “erode public trust in the planning process”.

But Oliver Carpenter, who built the floating house, said the bungalows are “interesting, original, ecologically sound and a really positive addition to the homes of Worcester”.