Reprieve for couple's Bournville lockdown takeaway business

The couple's day-to-day work dried up as the lockdown measures were introduced

A Birmingham couple told to stop a home takeaway business set up to provide an income during the coronavirus lockdown have been given a reprieve.

Work dried up for Jeremy and Tina Stone so they began cooking and delivering meals from their kitchen in Bournville.

But Bournville Village Trust, which manages the area, told them to stop as it had not consented.

The charity said it had now allowed the pair to trade for three months while their application was considered.

Bournville Village was built around the Cadbury factory by its owners and the trust was later set up to maintain the heritage of the area.

Tina Stone previously taught cooking classes

Residents must adhere to various responsibilities, including informing the trust if changes are being made to a home, not erecting or removing hedges, walls or fences without approval and keeping caravans in a storage site.

The impact on neighbouring homes of a house being as a business has to be considered, the trust said, and "a number of complaints" about the couple's delivery service had been raised.

But the couple told Birmingham Live their incomes had stopped and were "doing what we could" to earn a living.

Mr Stone was a property photographer and his wife ran cooking classes, which led to the pair diversifying and setting up Exotic Kitchen from their home after the lockdown was introduced.

The business has been registered for inspection with the city council, the local authority has confirmed.

Mr Stone said he understood the trust needing to preserve the heritage of the area, but called for "common sense" under the current lockdown

The couple said they were frustrated they could not trade from home after their incomes dried up, but admitted they had not sought permission from the trust

"We thought at least we're doing something to bring money in... everyone is having such a hard time and we needed to earn a living."

He said he contacted his MP and had told the trust he could not afford to wait several weeks for their decision.

The trust has since agreed to let them operate for three more months, but told them to stop using Deliveroo and Uber Eats and deliver the food themselves, he said.

In a statement, Arthur Tsang, Director of Communities at Bournville Village Trust, said he accepted it was a "worrying time" for people and despite complaints, allowed the couple to continue trading "under the condition that traffic to and from the property is managed".

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