JD Wetherspoon may have to undo work that has been carried out at its new Helston premises if planners at Cornwall Council follow the town council's recommendations.

The company has applied for retrospective planning permission after fitting astro turf to a section of the roof and eaves of the grade II listed building, formerly furniture store Oliver and Son, and raising the ridge line of part of the building.

The pub chain had applied for permission to vary a condition of the planning consent granted earlier in the year for demolition, extension, refurbishment and change of use at the building, to allow changes such as the astro turf on a roof terrace at the side of the site.

MT Andrewartha, a resident of neighbouring Five Wells Lane, wrote a letter objecting to the alterations, particularly the 1.2 metre increase in the ridge height.

He wrote: "This is immediately over our garden wall, roughly two metres from our house. It is overbearing and takes light from us being on the south side."

He noted that it had already been built without planning permission, and added: "We are also concerned that sufficient screening is made on the back of the roof terrace to ensure our privacy."

Recommending refusal of the application, the town council said it "could not support the increased rear ridge height and covered seating area on the terrace as this would result in a loss of amenity and light to adjacent properties."

It said councillors were of the opinion that: "The astro turf was not in keeping with a listed building or the conservation area, and the loss of the dormer roof over the door for access onto the roof terrace was detrimental to the character of the building."

Cornwall Council's determination deadline for the application is on November 23.