A Brent man had an application to build a vehicle crossover to his property refused – on the same grounds that a Planning Inspector found in his favour.

The man applied to the council to create a vehicle crossover to his land but when the council refused, he appealed the decision with the Planning Inspectorate which found in his favour.

But when the man then applied to Brent’s Highways department to construct the crossover, that department also refused his request – using the same grounds that the Planning Inspector overturned.

The man contacted the Local Government Ombudsman (LGO) who investigated the case and found the council were at fault because its Domestic Vehicle Footway Crossover Policy guidelines offered no option other than to refuse a crossover over a verge wider than three meters.

The London Borough of Brent has agreed to review the policy to provide a right of appeal on the grounds of exceptional circumstances and the facts of a case.

The council has also been asked to reconsider its decision on the man’s application for a crossover and make a fresh decision considering all the facts and arguments – including the Planning Inspector’s decision.

The council should also give full reasons for how and why it reaches the decision it does and should offer the man £300 in recognition of the injustice it caused him.

Article date: 02 October 2013