A BRICK wall built outside a home in South Ockendon without planning permission may have to be torn down.

The owners of 52 Cullen Square have been refused retrospective planning permission for a pillared wall which planning officers said would have a "significant adverse impact" on the area.

A previous low wall has been replaced with 2ft high wall interspersed with eight brick columns up to 4.5ft high. The columns are topped with black cap stones.

The wall and pillars were built at the front of the two-storey property near green belt in January but a planning application was only submitted following an enforcement investigation by planning officers.

In a subsequent report, they said: "The area is characterised by boundary treatment which mainly consists of low brick walls. The application site is located on a corner location of Cullen Square, given that the wall would be highly visible from the public realm, high quality design is vital.

"The solid brick wall that has been built, together with the brick pillars would appear overly dominant and incongruous in the street scene and have a significant adverse impact upon the character of the area. The development therefore results in significant harm to the street scene and the character of the area contrary to policies."

The report adds: "The wall as built, by reason of its siting, appearance, scale and design results in an overly dominant and incongruous feature in the street scene which results in significant harm to the appearance of the street scene, character of the area and local vernacular contrary to policies.

"As the development has already taken place, and the application that has been submitted following enforcement investigations is recommended for refusal, it follows that if this application is refused, enforcement action – in the form of an Enforcement Notice – would be taken immediately."