City planners turned the heat up on masterchef Marco Pierre White by branding his proposals for a new restaurant in Oxford as "appalling".

The wayward genius, who trained under Raymond Blanc and is notorious for ejecting stars, wants to convert the existing Spires restaurant at the Randolph Hotel, in Beaumont Street.

But Oxford City Council's planning committee turned down plans to redesign the interior and exterior of the grade II listed building.

Commenting on the new design, committee chairman Maureen Christian said: "I think it is appalling. They are trying to turn it into a nightclub."

"It would be really outrageous of us to allow a listed building to be desecrated in this particular way. I do not think one can even trust these people to design a door."

The proposals, put forward by the Randolph's owners, Forte Hotels and the Granada Group, include replacing sash windows with blue tinted ones and covering up the original ceiling installed by William Wilkinson in 1865.

Planners refused the application on the grounds it would "lead to an unnecessary loss of character" at this major Victorian hotel'.

Under a deal with Granada, Pierre White is expected to set up another six hotel restaurants nationwide. He may now appeal against the planning decision.

Sasha McGeosh, spokesman for Forte Hotels, said: "I should think Marco is disappointed. At the moment we are still interested in opening in Oxford and we have to take a view on what we will do next."

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