A pensioner said she was devastated after being ordered to dismantle the flourishing garden she spent 48 years nurturing. Gill Ashton, 74, said her garden was "like the Chelsea Flower Show".
She was sent a letter stating she had to "clear" the walkway and balcony behind her house - a space full of bedding and potted plants. She was contacted on behalf of developers turning the area into a new residential and retail complex.
The major development in Solihull in the West Midlands was approved by Solihull Council last year, Birmingham Live reports. It will see homes and shops at St John's Way bulldozed to create a residential and retail complex.
Grandmother-of-five Gill, who has lived in St John's Way for 48 years, said: "My balcony was full of flowers, they said I had to remove everything off the balcony. I'd spent a fortune on it, I'd had them there for 40 odd years.
"[It was] hundreds of plants, there were things that had been there for years. Acers, Hostas, lots of bedding plants, a lot of the pots were ceramic, it was part of my life. It was like a tropical garden. They said we had no ownership of the balcony."
A removal letter shows developers Mercia Real Estate stating residents had a "limited right" to use their walkways. Gill said she also received a visit from a company acting on behalf of developers, telling her to clear her walkway.
Residents said received the letter in 2020, which they complied with. However they told Birmingham Live that nothing has happened since that removal.
They said they are unsure why they were instructed to do so when they have kept items on their walkways and balconies for years. The St Johns Way residents said they are favour of modernisation, but angry at how they claimed the major development has been communicated to them by developers and council bosses.
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Mercia Real Estate, the firm behind the scheme said Knowle Place will provide "new employment opportunities, shopping, entertainment and new modern places to live" and that they have provided "direct lines of communication" to those with concerns.
But passionate gardener Gill said she was forced to donate or get rid of her beloved plants, including acers , hanging baskets and bedding plants. Standing in the now empty space behind her house, Gill motioned to the walkway in front of her kitchen window that was once a green paradise.
Her son Phil Collins said the family had to come at the height of the coronavirus lockdown to remove all of the plants so they could be donated or re-homed. He added: "She doesn't drive, she has COPD, they said she had to shift them. People used to compliment her on her pots and hanging baskets, it was like Chelsea Flower show."
Mercia Real Estate developers. They declined to comment on the removal of items from walkways, saying it was a private matter. A spokesperson said they have provided "direct lines of communication" and that parties are welcome to discuss their concerns with Mercia Real Estate.
A spokesperson for Solihull Council said: “Any planning authority is required to notify residents or tenants of any applications affecting their properties. With regards to this application, the Council has also kept residents and tenants informed of all amendments to the application, and considered the objections raised to the scheme.
“The council advised in the committee report and at the Planning Committee meeting that anything relating to ownership is a private matter between the developer, tenants and homeowners. The council and the planning system cannot and does not get involved in ownership issues."
