A COUNCIL wants to start charging for land given to a community as part of a plan to keep Britain fed during the Second World War, residents claim. Bury council says it merely wants to make sure its land is 'properly documented' and that a 'reasonable rent' is paid for it.

Residents in Ruskin Road and St Ann's Road in Bury were asked to 'Dig for Victory' as part of the war effort. They were given extra land by the council to plant vegetables.

But now people living in the same houses say Bury council wants to seize land behind their semi-detached homes. And they claim the council is threatening to charge them hundreds of pounds in rent.

 Janet Davies, 53, one of the residents campaigning to stop the land-grab, said: "These gardens have no commercial value, although they do have great sentimental value for us and our neighbours.

"Many of them are pensioners and have lived here for decades. No one else can rent the land except people living next to it. The council is trying to blackmail people into agreeing to unfair rents and unfair terms."

The homes on Ruskin Road and St Ann's Road had small gardens, but they were given extra land reclaimed from Prestwich Clough.

 Some of the homeowners have been paying rent for this land ever since the war, but others have not paid rent for decades.

The residents say they believe the council only recently registered the land with the Land Registry. It is now asking them to pay hundreds of pounds in rent.

Residents say they have been asked to sign a licence that says they are not to plant 'any tree or shrub' on the land, or to dig deeper than eight inches. It also says they are 'not to exclude the owner', who 'may continue to visit the land and use it for normal recreation jointly with the licensee'. They have also been told a footpath runs through the gardens.

One homeowner Les Williams, 74, said: "I've lived here since 1969 and have not paid any rent on that part of my garden for about 15 years. I wouldn't want to lose the garden, because I grow vegetables there.

"I don't want to pay all that money, but if they took the garden back, it'd go to waste."

Local councillor Mary D'Albert said she believed the situation could have been 'handled better' by the council and that residents had been left with 'quite a shock' after being told about the plan at a time when finances were tight.

A spokeswoman for Bury council said: "The council has undertaken and is implementing a review of its land used as private gardens across the whole of the borough.

"The aim of the review was to ensure that the use of the council-owned garden land is properly documented and that reasonable rent is paid for its use.

"In the case of Ruskin Road and St Ann's Road, the council has offered40 garden tenancies ranging between £73 and £200 a year.

"The average rent sought is £125 per year, which equates to £2.50 a week. It is considered that such sums are reasonable for use of the land as gardens.

"Two letters were issued as part of the process. There was no intention for the letters to be seen as threatening. However, the reasons behind the action had to be explained.

"In both letters, there were contact details provided for residents to discuss matters with council officers. Ward members and council officers have agreed to meet the residents on a one-to-one basis."