Bizarre parking rules hit farm for autistic children
A FAMILY farm in Solihull that helps children with special educational needs is at risk of closure due to ‘‘strange’’ parking restrictions.
Spencer’s Retreat, in Berkswell, run by husband and wife Simon and Kate Morris, is part of the Langdale Trust, which supports vulnerable adults and families coping with autism.
But Mr Morris says that a bizarre planning rule limiting the number of cars that can park at the farm has put its future at serious risk.
At any one time the farm is only allowed 22 people and four cars on site.
Mr Morris says the charity has been crippled by the restrictions, and is left making just £100 a day.
It prevents the farm hosting school or care home visits, he says.
“The planning decision came back before the first Covid lockdown. The restriction put in place was up to two families at any one time and everyone has got to book.
“It was nothing to do with Covid, it was standard, everybody has to book to come here, which at that point, we knew wouldn’t be sustainable.
“To make us sustainable we need to be able to run events, fundraise, and we’ve proved this year with our
Ukraine one, that if we have, say, six or seven of those events, we could raise around £10,000 a years, which would be fantastic.”
Families with autistic children often cannot book in advance because it causes the youngsters stress – yet if they cannot book in advance, they cannot visit, says Mr Morris.
He added: “It’s strange, it doesn’t make any sense. If this continues, we’re not going to be here this time next year.
“We had a Covid grant of £12,000 last year – if we hadn’t got that we’d be gone now.”
A Solihull Council planning spokesman said: “The site is restricted to having no more than four visitor families on the site at any one time other than on Group Days (which may be themed family days, educational trips, care home trips or children’s parties), where up to 12 Group Days can take place in a calendar year.
“At any given time, no more than eight vehicles shall be parked on site including volunteers.”
That was is in accordance with the Solihull Local Plan planning policy to reduce traffic and congestion around the site in the interest of both highway safety and amenity for neighbours in the area surrounding the site.
“To our knowledge, the owner has not contacted the council regarding further loosening of the restriction,” added the spokesman.