Stella's neighbours hit the roof

Stella McCartney may know how to put together a stylish evening dress but judging by the wooden stockade that has sprung up on the roof of her £4 million Notting Hill home, when it comes to building work she appears to lack finesse.

That is certainly the opinion of her neighbours who are unimpressed by the structure which houses her new open-air shower.

According to friends, the fashion designer daughter of Sir Paul McCartney plans to do a great deal of entertaining on the roof and has been boasting of her ambitions to dance naked and take a shower afterwards.

Residents, however, are protesting about the somewhat ramshackle structure that McCartney, 30, has had erected, and have flooded Westminster council with complaints.

The local authority is likely to demand that she pull down the "bulky" addition which is surrounded by a 6ft high fence. A spokesman for the council said: "An investigation is in progress and we are intending to carry out formal enforcement action."

One neighbour said: "It is very ugly and ruins the skyline. It looks like a box a rough sleeper might stay in." Another said: "I called the council and they said there was no chance I could have one on my house."

Resident Helen Kheva said: "We were very keen to put in some sort of roof terrace at the back but the council said no. It seems only fair that she should be asked to take hers down. They won't even let us have windows in our roof."

The terrace leads up from McCartney's bedroom and is covered in decking with pine benches fixed on to the sides. A handyman working at the four-storey house said: "The council has been and had a look and it is fair to say they it has taken a dim view. Stella is very cross."

The daughter of the former Beatle is dating Alasdhair Willis, publisher of the lifestyle magazine Wallpaper, and has employed a leading firm of architects to sort out the problem.

Clifford W & RC Shrimplin submitted new plans to the council a fortnight ago, proposing to reduce the height of the fence.

A council planner said that when planning permission was granted to the previous owner in 1990, it was only for a basic deck and translucent balustrade. He said: "It is now a lot more bulky and prominent."

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