New terms and conditions covering council-owned garages are being brought in to give people who rent garages more leeway on what they store in them.

Every one of Tamworth Borough Council’s 1,050 garage tenants has received a letter asking them to comment on the changes to the garage tenancy agreement, which are due to take effect in November.

Tenants have until August 29 to have their say on the changes and send their comments to the council.

Under the proposed changes, tenants will be able to use the garages to store any taxed and roadworthy motor vehicles including cars, vans, scooters, motorbikes, off-road bikes, trailers and boats.

Previously, garages could only be used for the storage of cars. The rules are being relaxed in an attempt to free up car parking space, particularly on Tamworth’s housing estates.

Under the new agreement, garage tenants will have to relinquish the tenancy if they move house and can no longer use the garage to store a motor vehicle. This is being brought in to reduce the number of garages lying empty.

The new agreement also underlines the need for tenants to take out adequate insurance to over loss or damage to anything stored in the garage, as Tamworth Borough Council is not responsible for it.