Laindon residents furious over "vile" garages
The sites are off Bournes Avenue
Residents on an Essex street say they ‘hate’ living there due to ‘vile’ garages. Two garage sites off Bournes Avenue, Laindon have been left in a bad state, with many boarded up and others left open with mess pouring out of the doors.
The sites, which are almost opposite each other in the town, are owned by Basildon Borough Council. Angry residents claim the council is not doing anything, despite multiple complaints and reports of the issues at the site.
Sharon Hamilton, 66, said: “It’s pretty shocking, it’s bringing down the whole area. We’ve all contacted the council on many occasions, god knows what’s happening over there. It looks vile and it makes the area look so rough and unpleasant.
“We deserve better, we’ve also asked for garages and are told there aren’t any. Which is clearly untrue. The council must buck up its ideas. We pay our taxes and elect councillors to help make things better.”
Clothing, bedding, and other material items are dumped, with alcohol in the garages. Some had the doors open with mess covering the floor.
Kevin Browne, 34, said: “We’re sick to the back teeth of the council now. It’s been like this for such a long time and nothing is being done about it. We shouldn’t have to live next to such a bad mess and state. It’s affecting all our lives and mental health. This must be cleaned up and dealt with asap. We will not put up with this any longer, Everyone talks about it the whole time.”
Carole Sargant, 77, added: “I am almost sick of asking for it to be dealt with now. It’s so bad, I worry about drugs and antisocial behaviour there. It doesn’t look like the garages are being used for anything good. We’ve been promised development over and over again and nothing is done at all. I hate living next to it because it makes you feel down.”
A council spokesperson said: “We do review older garage sites for potential redevelopment, particularly where the cost of refurbishing existing garages is not considered cost-effective. Where redevelopment is not viable, we may look at demolishing the garages to create additional open parking spaces for residents. In the meantime, council officers will arrange to inspect the site to ensure the area is kept clean and tidy and that the garages remain safe.”