'˜Gutted' Shoreham residents told to clear communal gardens

Alfie, aged two, enjoying his slide in the communal gardens

Residents of a Shoreham block of flats were left '˜gutted' after being told to remove their belongings from the communal gardens.

Benches, children’s toys and plant pots were among items at Aston House, in Freehold Street, labelled with notices on Thursday (July, 13) that said if they were not removed within 24 hours, they would be disposed of.

David Flavin lives alone at the flats, which are a mixture of privately owned homes and flats owned by Adur Homes.

The 71-year-old was ‘gutted’ to be requested to remove his bench, which he has had for 12 years and which sits alongside the pots of tomatoes, runner beans, chives and mint that he enjoys growing.

David Flavin on his bench at Aston House with Alfie

“It’s quite a meeting place,” he said.

“We have used it an awful lot.

“Just last week we had a barbecue.”

Neighbour Amanda Hancock said: “It doesn’t look untidy.

“It’s not a lot we have here, it’s a few patches of grass.

“He is trying to make it look nicer for everybody.

“None of the neighbours have a problem with it.”

The 40-year-old mother has been asked to take away her two-year-old son Alfie’s plastic slide, which she said was ‘awful’ and ‘unfair’ – as she has nowhere to store it in the two-bedroom flat she shares with Alfie and her two teenage daughters.

“It seems really petty,” she said.

“This is a communal garden. We thought it was for us to use.”