A man who sited a section of the Berlin Wall in his south London garden may be forced to remove it, after complaints from neighbours.
Steven Thorpe said he bought a chunk of the historic wall in Siggelkow, Germany before bringing it home, hoping to preserve it.
After installing it by his house in Herne Hill, Thorpe received a notice from Southwark Council describing it as “unauthorised building works” that were illegal without planning permission.
The property developer said he did not think he needed permission to put an “artwork” in his garden, but said he was now working “constructively” with the local authority.
Thorpe told the BBC he dug a pit to house the 12ft (3.6m) structure to minimise its impact, with the wall now sitting 10ft (3.1m) above ground.
He also planted greenery around it to soften his neighbours’ view, he said.
But in a letter from the council dated 2 July, Thorpe was told the “building works” were “unacceptable” and an enforcement notice would be served.
It said the installation harmed a neighbouring property because of its “overbearing scale, oppressive sense of enclosure and stark industrial appearance”.
The notice warned Thorpe he could face a fine of up to £20,000 if he did not successfully seek planning permission.
