Homeowners have been left scratching their heads after grass verges in front of their properties were put up for auction.

The two parcels of land, off Queenborough Road, Halfway, are going on sale as one lot, and collectively measure 0.23 acres.

They are to go under the hammer at an Allsop auction on February 12 at a guide price of £4,000.

Trevor Dockerill, whose home on Sunnyfields Drive directly faces the verges, said he and his neighbours are puzzled.

He said: “Everyone on the street here that I’ve spoken to is so surprised that they would want to sell off the grass verges. For what, I don’t know.”

The plot was previously sold by owner Bilton Land at an auction in March 2014 only for the buyer to later pull out.

Mr Dockerill said its guide price on this occasion was £7,500.

The 63-year-old said: “I think it’s so low [now] because they know that for anybody buying it, there would be little chance of getting planning permission.

“Perhaps somebody would want to buy it to put in advertising boards.

“It’s annoying that Bilton Land would want to try to grab a bit more money into the company.”

He added the firm might be trying to save on costs of cutting the grass and pruning the trees.

A spokesman for Bilton Homes, which is based in central London, said: “The land is in our ownership and is surplus to our requirements, so we are putting it into the auction.

“If some of the residents wish to purchase the land prior to the auction they can do so by making an approach to us through Allsop auctioneers where, if a price is agreed, this can go ahead so long as exchange is 24 hours before the auction date.”

Mr Dockerill said he and his neighbours had been offered the land but said, “why would you want to buy two strips of land and manage it?”

What do you think the land could be used as? Send your suggestions to Times Guardian, 44 High Street, Sheerness, ME12 1NL or email timesguardian@thekmgroup.co.uk