Arbroath residents who created a community garden on council ground without permission say they will fight an order to remove it.
The Dishlandtown Street group has been told to clear the site after a row which erupted earlier this year.
Local families took over a piece of communal ground between two blocks of flats in the street.
But in September the council said it was causing difficulties for parks staff to maintain.
And they warned folk who were not council tenants that they couldn’t just turn it into a community garden.
Last week, the council sent out a letter saying the planters, polytunnel and other items must go.
They told the group a door-to-door survey had been carried out.
Only two responses came to the council – but those were against the garden.
“Issues came from this communal ground being used for gatherings,” said the authority.
There were also complaints about rubbish being put in the entries to the flats.
The council said the responses “clearly demonstrated a lack of support for the community garden”.
And it told the group: “We will be reverting the ground back to its use as open space and a drying area.”
The council letter of November 27 added: “We would also that all items relating to the community garden be removed within seven days of receipt of this letter.”
Locals claim support for Arbroath community garden
But local mum-of-four Michelle Brown says the group have no intention of taking anything away.
Michelle said: “We feel the council are looking at it quite negatively.
“When we got this letter we were about ready to give up.
“But we have got people who are really supporting us and want to help us keep the garden.
“I believe the council survey was just a note through the door asking people to get in touch, it didn’t say what it was about.
“We got together an online petition of 496 signatures, which I think trumps their two complaints.
“We’ve not taken anything away and we don’t plan to.”
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