NEIGHBOURS who say they have been left in the dark about plans to remove much-loved gardens have aired their frustrations.

A group of residents living in Vespasian Road, Andover, have said they have not received an official notice from housing association Stonewater that their front gardens and sheds will be taken away to make way for driveway parking.

In 2017 Stonewater was given planning consent to build nine new social housing homes on a car park used by eight Vespasian Road homes, with the plan to move parking on to the gardens.

Now, two years on residents have said that they have had little information about if or when the plans will come to fruition.

A survey carried out for Stonewater found removing the car park to add more houses will not have a “material impact on the availability of parking”, but residents dispute the claims.

Resident Richard Towerton said: “The car park is constantly used not only by people living here but by visitors as well.

“We, as a collective, wholeheartedly oppose the above propositions as it would drastically and detrimentally impact our families and the neighbouring community.

“Three families in our road don’t have cars and our elderly neighbour takes love and pride in her front garden — taking away our gardens — that is not fair.

“This is happening and we don’t know anything about it. The houses are going ahead and nothing has been said about our driveways or our sheds. This will change the whole dynamic of our little community.”

And Kerry Blayney added: “It is all a bit disheartening, if I would have known about this I would have moved elsewhere.

“No-one is happy about it. No-one wants to lose their front gardens.”

The housing association said that residents will also be able to park in laybys and a parking court nearby.

Concerns were raised about children not only playing in the front gardens, but also in the car parking area which is set to be taken away.

Neighbour Jane Barnes said: “Our kids play in there, people drive slowly because the kids are out to play. I reckon it is going to ruin around here.”

And neighbours expressed that due to the size of their houses, the sheds are much needed to store a host of items.

Resident Niki Walters said: “To lose the shed is going to have a huge impact because these houses are really small.

“We love it here and we pay the rent so surely we should have a say in what goes on - it is just really frustrating.”

A Stonewater spokesperson told the Advertiser that a consultation started for the project in 2012 and letters have been sent to residents on several occasions.

He added: “Improvements will include new block paved driveways, new front and rear doors where required, new boundary fencing, new soft landscaping across the whole site, a bin storage area at the end of each footpath for houses and improved bin storage facilities for the flats.

“We are working with our architects and contractors to provide additional storage solutions for residents in the front garden, next to the new bin storage area. As soon as we have new plans available, we will discuss these with the residents.”

Work is expected to begin in April or May and will be carried out in phases.