DESPERATE families are battling against the clock to save their back gardens.

The gardens, known as 'the pens' are rented from textile firm David Whitehead Ltd, formerly of Burnley, now based in Wigan. But the company has told residents their lease is up on May 1 and it wants the land for housing development.

Now residents fear that in a few weeks bulldozers will be sent to flatten the gardens. And the company has not ruled that out. Director Bernard Laverty said: 'It remains to be seen where we go from May 1."

Ten families rent the gardens where they have built patios, greenhouses and garages as well as planting lawns and flower beds. They have tried every legal avenue to hang on to them but fear time is running out.

The gardens are behind a row of terrace houses in Union Street, Rawtenstall. David Whitehead proposes building 15 houses on the land, although the company has not yet applied for planning permission. Residents received a letter in November giving them six months to vacate the plots. Spokesman for the group Janet O'Driscoll said: "It was an absolute bombshell."

The group have approached Rossendale Council and hired a solicitor but say hope is evaporating.

Six of the families asked to buy the gardens but were stunned by the £100,000 price tag placed on the land by the owners.

Mrs O'Driscoll said their own valuer had suggested £6,000.

She added: "There is no way we can afford that amount but we feel the company is jumping the gun.

"It has valued the site as building land and assumes permission will be given for 15 houses. That's not necessarily the case."

The 32-yard long gardens are rented for only 45p a year per family. The company claims the residents have not paid rent for six years. But Mrs O'Driscoll maintains the company stopped collecting the rent because it was uneconomic.

The O'Driscolls have rented their plot for 13 years. A neighbour has had his for 47 years. Mr Laverty insists the company has not behaved unreasonably.

He said: "This is a commercial decision and I don't feel we have been heavy-handed. We have given the residents six months to clear the land."

Mr Laverty added that the company had taken legal advice every step of the way.

It had organised its own survey of the site and the asking price was the figure the surveyors had suggested.

He said: "We've spent a lot of money on this and the figure the residents are offering is somewhat less than our legal and survey costs.

"All we are trying to do is be reasonable. We've given six months' notice of our intentions and our solicitors have vetted the terms of the lease. Everything we've done we have taken legal advice on first."

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