ATTWELL FARM PARK - PETITION TO SUPPORT OUR FUTURE - 19/01544/FUL

19/01544/FUL | Continued use of land and farm buildings as a farm based Rural Educational and Interpretation Visitor Centre with associated facilities including visitor parking, the retention of outdoor play equipment, toilet blocks, animal enclosures, shelters and fencing, the wall filling the formerly open sided elevation of the southernmost building, pedestrian link between the café/play barn and winter barn and steel walling adjacent to the visitor parking area. Retention of a mobile office building for a twelve-month period (amended description and extension of application site to Cherry Pit Lane) | Seafield Farm Seafield Lane Portway Redditch Worcestershire B98 9DB

Attwell Farm Park is an independently run family business that has been farming in Beoley, Worcestershire since 1962. Our farming history & experience ranges from Poultry farming, Animal Husbandry, Pedigree Livestock Management & Egg farming. In the summer of 2017, we officially diversified our farm and opened our doors to the public with our farm park. Offering not only educational packages, but a fun & safe family environment for all ages.

Our key focus at Attwell farm park is education, where we celebrate all that is amazing about British farming & Animal Husbandry. At Attwell Farm Park we are always striving to contribute to national curriculum's. Working with early learning, Primary, SEN Classes all the way up to Universities.

Since opening the farm park in the summer of 2017 in a more formal model, we have been able to create 20 local jobs. A huge difference if you go back to 2016 where we struggled to employ 3 staff members, two of which were family members. The park is creating jobs, apprenticeships & work experience opportunities for people of all ages and abilities. We anticipate we could be up to 50 plus staff members by the end of this year with them all being local.

We are working with organisations such as the Heart of Worcestershire college's special educational needs department and have recently set up a partnership with Worcestershire’s Mencap Employment Service.  Offering Work experience & Voluntary opportunities in a variety of fields at the Farm Park. The experiences they will gain from volunteering will help the students & Interns move forward for paid employment. Many students who have learning disabilities, struggle with communication and confidence and work experience at the farm promotes both these aspects.

During the COVID-19 outbreak, we had to shut our farm park. We kept our farm shop open, offering local home deliveries & click and collect services for those most vulnerable and key workers. We wanted to do our bit by providing the local community wholesome farm produce and essentials. We also created educational activities and worksheets for families to do at home. #BringingTheFarmToYou - Our visitors have been incredibly supportive, we cannot thank them enough. We had to furlough the entire staff except 3 people. We are very fortune that we have not made any redundancies and have now been able to open the Farm park again, under reduced numbers & strict social distancing guidelines. We are now getting back to a position to create new job roles and employ once again.

We are currently going through a very exhausting battle with the Bromsgrove District Council planning department, who are recommending refusing our retrospective planning application. We need your support now more than ever. By signing this petition and gaining your support, you are enabling us to move forward with Attwell farm park and all the opportunities we can offer.

By signing this petition you agree & support that we,  the undersigned, give support to Attwell Farm Park for this essential Rural Educational centre development as it gives great benefit to our children and young people, by way of education(supporting the school curriculum) and training in agriculture, the environment, learning through physical play and creativity and so much more. 

You can view our application on the Bromsgrove & Redditch Planning website. Below is our application Reference:

**19/01544/FUL | Continued use of land and farm buildings as a farm based Rural Educational and Interpretation Visitor Centre with associated facilities including visitor parking, the retention of outdoor play equipment, toilet blocks, animal enclosures, shelters and fencing, the wall filling the formerly open sided elevation of the southernmost building, pedestrian link between the café/play barn and winter barn and steel walling adjacent to the visitor parking area. Retention of a mobile office building for a twelve-month period (amended description and extension of application site to Cherry Pit Lane) | Seafield Farm Seafield Lane Portway Redditch Worcestershire B98 9DB**