A WHITCHURCH couple say the decision by Meres and Mosses Housing Trust to serve a month’s notice on garage owners in Queensway has left a popular group with no storage.

John Dutton purchased two garages in the block under the old North Shropshire District in the 1990s but over Easter, he and his partner Tracy Williams received a letter giving them a month to move out of the garage.

Meres and Mosses told them the land will be used to build affordable housing, but while John has found another place to store his belongings, he had been allowing the Whitchurch Lions club to use the other and says they are out of place.

“John bought the two top garages and paid £600 for them and then paid for them to be steel reinforced with heavy steel doors, as he was storing his building materials in one,” said Tracy. “The other he passed onto the Lions for them to store their goods; they have used it free of charge until now.

“John has paid Meres and Mosses ground rent since ownership of approx £210 per year for the both of them.

“We received a letter with regards to building bungalows on that ground last year, but nothing was set in stone. We did ask if there was any garages available to which they replied no.

"They also said that we could take our garages which we can’t as they are a) asbestos and b) the ground has not been maintained and so trees and shrubs have taken over.

“Meres and Moses have offered no buy back, relocation or compensation, we have had to move our contents to a building in Beeston as there is no storage facilities in Whitchurch."

A spokeswoman for Meres and Mosses said: "There are 24 plots of land at Queensway garages, Whitchurch, which are leased from Meres and Mosses Housing Association. The garages on those plots are owned by individuals.

The lease they have for the land has been terminated, as per the lease agreement, due to the site being earmarked for much needed affordable housing.

Each person that owns a garage on the site has been given the option to remove their garage, or, due to potential asbestos being present, ask Meres and Mosses Housing Association to remove it on their behalf."