RESIDENTS of a road in Evesham say they are worried about an application to buy it.

Houses in Highfield Road and School Road, in Hampton, were shocked to see letters from a property investment company indicating their intention to buy the road and open green spaces from the Crown Estate.

Residents of the roads were worried by the news, believing that the area was owned by the county council.

Jim Griffiths, a resident of School Road said: "Shockingly to the residents, it seems there is no record in the council archives of the transfer of ownership from the builders to the council or of the deposit and exchange of the financial bond which would normally have taken place.

"The property company apparently wish to open a new access to a derelict orchard they bought last year.

"The householders are understandably concerned that they may no longer be entitled to free vehicle access to their houses and may be faced with expensive charges to remedy a problem which is not of their making.

"For some reason,the builders appear to have retained the ownership of the roads,footways and open green spaces instead of transferring them to the county council.

"When that company was dissolved in 2004 the ownership passed automatically to the Crown Estate."

Councillors have reassured residents that the transfer of land will not affect the 45 households of the two roads.

Cllr Alan Amos, Cabinet Member with Responsibility for Highways, said: "The important point is whether the road is a public highway, not who owns it.  

"Highfield Road is an adopted highway and has been maintained for many years by Worcestershire County Council as the Highway Authority, giving the public the right to use it. 

"For a road to have the status of a highway, the Highway Authority does not need to own the land the road runs over. In this case, the Council adopted the road as highway for public use a long time ago.

"The legal ownership of the land over which a highway runs is an entirely academic point – it is highway whoever owns it. 

"We understand that the land of Highfield Road was owned by the original developer; a company which has since gone out of business and the land vested in the Crown, in accordance with the law.

"Another company has now expressed an interest in purchasing this title from the Crown.

"Any transfer of the legal title would not affect Highfield Road's status as a highway and public rights to use it, nor would it affect the Council's continuing duty of maintenance."