Almost an entire street in West Norfolk served with eviction notices
Some 11 households could be kicked out of their homes
Last updated 24th Aug 2022
Almost an entire street of families in a west Norfolk village has been served with eviction notices, after a food manufacturer said it needed the use of their properties.
Some 11 households at Feltwell Farm, near Brandon, have been told by their new landlords, Cranswick Country Foods, that they must leave their properties by October 16.
Residents said the order for them to go, which was sent with the legal minimum of two months’ notice, was “heartless” and that it would have been fairer to offer them some compensation.
Cranswick said it was acting within the law and was engaging with the affected families.
The families had been renting from a previous landowner who is understood to have sold the properties to Cranswick earlier this year.
Nick Baker has lived in one of the properties for about five years and said the eviction order was “just not fair for anyone”.
His fiancée Stacey died two years ago, leaving him as a single dad of two boys.
“To then have this eviction, both boys are really upset, as am I.
“We’ve put a lot of work into the garden. It’s a work in progress, but we’d planted a lot of flowerbeds for their mum. It’s really heartbreaking,” he said.
Another tenant, Ryan Baez, said: “They just expect us to up and go without any financial backing from themselves – and all the money that we’ve put into our property, we’ve just got to leave it all there.”
“For me, it’s a big concern, especially when you’ve got children with disabilities. With two months’ notice, what are you supposed to do?
“It’s not easy these days, to find a couple of grand to move and to find properties that are actually available.
“Why should we accrue more costs because Cranswick Country Foods wants to kick us out to put somebody else in? I think it’s wrong.”
He added that his family had never been behind on rents and had lived in their property for seven years.
He also said it would be a “massive change” for his family and could result in the upheaval of having to find new schools for his children.
And a third tenant, Malcolm Lewis, said he was worried that the council would not be able to re-house all the residents, and that even if they could, he would not be allowed to bring his beloved dog with him.
He said there was “no way on heaven and earth” he could live without his dog and that he would rather live on the streets than give it up.
What did Cranswick foods have to say?
In a statement, a Cranswick spokeswoman said: “Cranswick takes this matter very seriously.
“We appreciate this is a difficult time for those concerned and are engaging with them.
“Any action taken has been done in accordance with due legal process and within the terms of our contractual agreements.”
West Norfolk Borough Council meanwhile gave its assurance that it would be on hand to assist if needed.
“When someone contacts us and tells us they are homeless or at risk of homelessness, we will do everything we can to help them,” a council spokeswoman said.
“We will ask them for some information about their circumstances and assess their need against certain criteria laid down in homelessness legislation, which includes whether they are a vulnerable person.
“Once we have completed our assessment we will consider how their immediate needs can be addressed.
“This may include options ranging from giving advice and assistance to maintain their current accommodation to the immediate provision of temporary accommodation while they are looking for a longer-term solution.
“We have already been contacted by some of the families and we are supporting them.”