A FAMILY-RUN business is being forced to move from its home of more than 25 years to make way for the extension of a car park.

MOT and Service Centre Witham has been based at the NCP car park at Witham Station for 29 years under two different names.

Now owner Reg Moses has been told the business must leave, as Greater Anglia is planning to create more parking spaces in its place.

He said: “I have not been offered anything at all despite being here for 29 years. I have had no compensation or offer of another unit. I have just been told I have got to go.

“I am fairly well known in Witham and the local area and I am sure the garage will be missed from the station. It is going to affect my customers, especially the ones that park at the station and it is going to have a real effect on my business.”

Mr Moses estimates around 75 per cent of his trade is from commuters using Witham station.

He continued: “I would have thought it would have helped Greater Anglia me being here because it was a nice service they have on offer to their customers.

“The decision is all about money. I am taking up around 20 parking spaces. They can make more money from having those spaces for cars.”

The business pays £6,500 per quarter in rates, with the spot being one of the most expensive and sought-after in the town.

New premises have been found in Moss Road, on Freebournes Industrial Estate. However the new site has some expensive up-front costs.

Mr Moses said: “It is going to cost me £40,000 just for the new testing equipment.

“The trouble is when you run your own business people think you are automatically a millionaire, but they do not realise there is not a lot in the pot for things like this.

“Hopefully we will be able to keep our customers. They are very loyal and obviously we do a good job because they seem to trust us.”

“I feel very let down by Greater Anglia.

“I have been working with them for so long and I have not even seen a face during this whole situation.

“If I ran my business like that I would be out of business within two months. They have had no courtesy and I think it is really bad that they have treated me as a customer like this.”

A Greater Anglia spokesman said: “We need to upgrade the car park at Witham station to improve and increase existing parking, including installing more disabled spaces, to try to meet demand from our customers.

“As a result, we have taken the decision to serve notice on Witham MOT and Service Centre, but we have tried to give them as much notice as possible.

“This is part of our plans to invest £60 million in stations across East Anglia and increase parking.”