# Brent Council builds driveway column and bills homeowner £8,222

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/pillar-of-the-community-man-is-stunned-to-open-his-door-to-see-council-workers-erecting-free-standing-column-in-his-driveway-before-billing-him-8000-for-the-privilege/
- Published: 2026-11-14T15:13:13+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-14T15:32:31+00:00
- Original publisher: Daily Mail (publisher lean: Right)
- Original article: https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-16292507/Pillar-community-Man-stunned-open-door-council-workers-erecting-free-standing-column-driveway-billing-8-000-privilege.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
- Topics: World

## Key points

- Brent Council built a column in a north London driveway.
- The work costs £8,222 and blocks one parking space.
- A planning inspector upheld the council’s enforcement decision.

## Summary

Brent Council built a brick column in Steve McCormack’s driveway and plans to charge him £8,222 for the work, enforcing a planning notice after he and his neighbours widened and repaved the drive without permission. The dispute matters because the column blocks one of two long-used parking spaces, while the council says the unauthorised changes harmed the character of the Mapesbury Conservation Area.

The council found the driveway too wide and lacking enough soft landscaping; a retrospective application was refused and an appeal against the enforcement notice was dismissed in January 2023. Residents did not comply by the July deadline, so six contractors arrived at 7am on 5 November to carry out the work. Neighbours supported keeping the driveway, but an independent planning inspector agreed with the council that their views did not outweigh the harm to the conservation area.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.