Parents fear former respite centre earmarked for development

Mum Cassie Kane said: "For our children - the children who can't access mainstream activities - there's absolutely nowhere for them to go."

Parents fear a former respite centre for children with disabilities has been earmarked for development after the council put it up for sale.

Hop, Skip and Jump in Cheltenham closed two years ago after the charity running it went into administration.

Mum Cassie Kane, whose son attended the centre, said Gloucestershire County Council was "putting profit over people".

The authority said it had an obligation to "get the best value" for the site.

Following its closure in March 2020 after 40 years of provision, families have been fighting to get the site back up-and-running.

'Crisis point'

Ms Kane, from Cheltenham, whose son has severe autism, said the situation has been "an absolute nightmare".

"Families are being pushed to crisis point because they're just not getting any respite at all," she said.

Ms Kane set up a petition to try and ensure the site was not sold to property developers and said she had received "an overwhelming response", with more than 1,100 signatures.

"The comments on there are heartbreaking," she said.

Eloise Thraves, from Winchcombe, who used the facility for her son Charlie, said: "We were absolutely heartbroken when it closed [as it was a] completely safe space."

Charlie is severely autistic with significant learning disabilities, and non-verbal.

Ms Thraves added: "I hope it's not about money because you cannot put a price on a severely disabled child's health and happiness."

Property prices 'bonkers'

Charles Perkins, who runs the Secret Garden nursery in Gloucester, has submitted a bid for the site, which is listed for £350,000.

He would like to keep running it as a respite centre but thinks "it's inevitable" he will be outbid by developers.

He added: "Property prices are bonkers, it's on the outskirts of Cheltenham, in the Cotswolds, and it's going to attract people that want to live in the countryside."

A spokesman for the council said it was "under an obligation to get the best value in accordance with its disposals policy".

"The property must be fully marketed to allow anyone who's interested to view and submit a bid," he said.

The authority said it was working with the Gloucestershire parent carer forum to provide enhanced short breaks in the county, with a new service to be in place in 2022.