RESIDENTS fear they could be charged to leave their homes when a residential road is auctioned off.

Blake Hill Drive, Wickford - currently owned by builders Bovis Homes - is set to be sold at auction at Chelmsford City Racecourse on Tuesday.

The freehold, which has a guide price of between £2,000 and £3,000, includes the access road, grass verges, footpaths and other land.

Tony Burr, 71, who has lived in the road for 28 years, said: “It is a really bizarre situation.

“We have never heard of anything like this before.

“My 93-year-old neighbour is terrified about what is going to happen to her house.

“She thinks she is going to get charged every time she leaves and uses the road.

“There are lamp posts and signs on the road - what will happen to them?

“There is no space big enough for anyone to put more houses on the area that is being sold, so how else is the buyer going to make its money back unless it starts charging residents?”

David Harrison, leader of the Wickford Independents, said he had been contacted by a number of concerned residents.

He added: “I’m amazed that this can happen. I’m surprised anyone would want to buy this land.

“Residents are concerned someone could charged them to access their own homes.”

Auctioneer Paul Bridgeman, of Clive Emson Auctioneers, insists that residents have nothing to fear.

He said “Bovis Homes are selling the subsoil below the road. They have a lot of these plots in their possession and are trying to clear their books.

“We have had public green spaces for sale before and that also caused concern from residents.

“Usually, these plots are bought by residents to protect themselves from future development.

“If the residents buy the land and a developer wants to develop any green field land close to them, they can either refuse them access over the land they own or hold them to ransom.”

Bovis Homes was contacted by the Echo for comment but did not respond.

Essex County Council said it had adopted the road surface and was responsible for it, but the subsoil belonged to the builders.