Thrift Farm: Council looking at 'every angle' to keep centre open

Kane McCague, who has autism and learning difficulties, has been supported by Thrift Farm for 10 years

"Every angle" has been looked at to try to keep a farm open which supports people with learning disabilities, according to a council.

Documents from Buckinghamshire County Council show Thrift Farm in Whaddon, near Milton Keynes, overspent by £304,000 in 2017/18.

The authority says it is not "sustainable" in its current form and has announced a consultation.

Tracie Bailey, whose son attends the farm, says it is a "glimmer of hope".

The three options being consulted on include: "do nothing", find another organisation to run the site, or close it.

Thrift Farm has traditional farm animals including goats, sheep, pigs and chickens

Kane McCague, 25, who is autistic and has learning difficulties, has been attending as a client for 10 years.

His mother Miss Bailey, from Bletchley, who volunteers at the farm, said after a cabinet meeting on Monday: "I now have more hope than I had before the meeting."

Lin Hazell, Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing at Buckinghamshire County Council, said: "This proposal has not been taken lightly; we have been looking at every angle to keep it open.

"We are hopeful that the increased awareness raised by the consultation process will help us find someone willing to take over operations at the farm."

The council said it had already been contacted by six organisations who were interested in running the farm.

A petition to save the farm has reached about 7,000 signatures.

The consultation runs from 13 February to 10 April.

The consultation into the farms future will run from 13 February until 10 April, two weeks longer than originally planned