BUSINESS owners who are being kicked out of their factories to make way for houses say it feels like their lives are being “trampled” over.

Brake Shear House, behind High Street, Barnet, could be bulldozed and turned into flats and offices – leaving around 15 workshops homeless.

Although planning permission has not yet been sought, they have been warned that once this is granted, they will be given six months to get out.

But for the businesses, who will have tonnes of heavy, expensive equipment to move, this will be no easy feat.

Bob Lloyd, who has owned printing company Acculith – the longest surviving business on the site – for 40 years, said: “We are in limbo. We have been left in the lurch.

“We don’t know how or when we have to get out. Is that what the world is coming to? You can trample over small businesses, and say thank you and goodnight?

“Everyone here goes to the nearby high street for lunch and it’s going to have a knock on effect, it will flatten trade there too. It’s going to be a bad thing for the area.”

It will cost Acculith a minimum of £20,000 to move and the team are now discussing it whether to call it a day and making their members of staff redundant.

Stephen Page, the co-owner of Acculith, said: “What gets me is that there’s not been any offer of compensation or anything. The council should have offered us that at least.

“It’s going to be so disruptive and after how long we’ve been in Barnet, and how much work we’ve done for the community, we’re owned that at least.”

The area is soaked in history and dates back to the 1800s, where it was used as a gas works, a swimming bath and later, a photographic works centre.

A flyer for John Swain's photographic works centre, below

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Mr Page added: “It’s ironic that after all this time, it’s all going to be destroyed. There’s no other factories like this one for miles, there’s nowhere for us to go.”

Simon Davey set up his vinyl company six months ago with the £20,000 redundancy money he got from his previous firm.

But now he fears he invested the money for nothing and is also calling on compensation.

He said: “I am dumfounded. I feel as though I have lost control of my own destiny. It’s a major life change and I’ve got no say in it.

“I’ve created something beautiful here but it’s all going to get crushed and thrown into a skip. In the back of my mind I am hoping for some miracle.

“We’ve had no offer of compensation and we feel we are owned that, at the very least.”

Tony Essery, whose company M+T Sheet Metal takes orders from companies as far away as Australia and Hungary, employs seven people.

He said: “I have given these people a career and I feel so sorry for them. There’s little we can do but prepare ourselves for this. The whole complex is despondent.”

Robert Whatton, who has owned Crystal Auto Care for 15 years, said: “I don’t know where we’ll go. I’ve got £10,000 worth of equipment here and I’ll have to sell it on eBay for a fraction of that.

“I feel so hard-done by. We’ve been offered no compensation and we’ve literally had no idea what’s going on. It’s just not fair.”

A statement from Wrenbridge said: "Wrenbridge is in discussions with planners at Barnet Council over an appropriate mixed-use scheme for the site that includes both employment space and much-needed new homes.  

"We will hold a full public consultation once we have worked up our plans to allow the local community to view and feedback on them.  This will be publicised locally and we look forward to meeting as many people from the area as possible."