Brent Council builds pillar on driveway, bills resident £8,222

A large pillar has been constructed on a driveway in Willesden Green by Brent Council workers, following a seven-year planning disagreement. Steve McCormack, a resident of St Gabriels Road, received a bill for £8,222.40 for the pillar's installation, which he states was done without his permission.

The dispute began in 2019 when Mr McCormack and his neighbours repaved their shared driveway, failing to apply for planning permission. The homes are situated within the Mapesbury Conservation Area, which has stringent guidelines regarding development to preserve its character. Council planning officers identified that the repaved driveway exceeded the three-metre width limit and lacked sufficient 'soft landscaping'.

Enforcement action follows dismissed appeal

Mr McCormack argued that the driveway had been widened to accommodate two parking spaces since the house was converted into four flats in the 1980s, a change for which planning permission was granted at that time. He applied for retrospective planning permission, but it was denied. Brent Council issued an enforcement notice in August 2021, citing the driveway's width and lack of soft landscaping.

An appeal lodged by Mr McCormack and his neighbours to the Planning Inspectorate was dismissed in January 2023, although amendments were made to the notice after additional soft landscaping was added. The notice required compliance by July 2023. When the residents did not take action, council contractors were sent on November 5, 2026, to build the pillar.

Mr McCormack described the council's action as disregarding "natural justice, fairness and common sense." He noted that the pillar now obstructs one of the two parking spaces that had been independently used for 40 years. Neighbours had previously submitted representations, stating the driveway improvements enhanced the road's character and that there was no harm to public amenity.

Council response

A spokesperson for Brent Council stated that enforcement action was taken because the unauthorised driveway works negatively impacted the Mapesbury Conservation Area's character, a conclusion supported by an independent Planning Inspector. The council confirmed that neighbour support did not override the identified harm. They added that the enforcement notice did not prevent parking but required changes, and that ignoring such a notice is a criminal offence. The council arranged for the work to be completed, with the owners to be charged for contractor costs and administrative fees, ensuring no cost to taxpayers.

The bill of £8,222.40 covers the contractor's work and the council's administrative expenses. The council stated that the Planning Inspector allowed for a three-metre-wide entrance, and two cars could still park, although one might need to be moved to allow the other to exit.