FORTY council-owned garages are to be demolished in Grounds Avenue, March, in the first stage of a Fenland District Council review. The council has confirmed the ones in March are the only ones earmarked for demolition, but confirmed that the housing depa

FORTY council-owned garages are to be demolished in Grounds Avenue, March, in the first stage of a Fenland District Council review.

The council has confirmed the ones in March are the only ones earmarked for demolition, but confirmed that the housing department had launched a review of all 956 garages owned by the council.

Many are expected to be transferred from the council's ownership to Roddons Housing Association later this year or early next.

"We are doing everything we can to find alternatives for those affected by the closure of the Grounds Avenue garages," said a council spokesman.

He said those affected were being given priority for vacancies that might arise in other council-owned garages nearby.

"These particular garages are in a fairly poor state of repair," said the spokesman. "They are in a dilapidated condition and are going to be taken down."

It was too early to say if replacements would be built, but a decision would probably be made by the cabinet, he said.

An Audit Commission assessment two years ago said Fenland's stock of garages had not been properly looked after.

"The stock of 956 garages has not been invested in and a survey of 50 per cent of those has revealed that over 32 per cent were in need of substantial repair," noted the commission.

A tenth of all garages were vacant, it said.