The College Farm Trust, registered by the Charity Commission in 1999, has owned the whole site, now designated a Conservation Area, since 2006; the Farm, however, has not been open to the public since it was closed owing to Foot and Mouth disease in 2001. In February 2018 the Charity Commission withdrew the Trust from the Register of Charities, on the grounds that it was restricted by the type of lease held by the sitting tenants and due to the restrictive nature of the lease the charity is not operating and has not operated for charitable purposes since the Trust purchased the land.
Since 2001:
The farm has been open only to customers of the Stables, Saddlery & Tack Shop, Pet shop & Dog Grooming Parlour. Other visitors have been turned away, with the statement that “the farm is private property”. There has apparently been little attempt to recommence any of the other activities** that previously attracted so many visitors.
The fences and fields have been maintained and cattle have been brought onto the fields for part of the year. The tenant’s son has stated that the reason that the Farm remains closed to the public is that the area is unsafe and that the tenant is waiting for the CFT to raise the necessary funds to meet current Health & Safety requirements. Since October 2016 the Charity Commission were “investigating the CFT’s charitable activities”; the Trust had not submitted any information to the Charity Commission since 2012 and its status on the Charity Commission was shown as “Out of date”.
Since January 2014 a small ad hoc group has met to discuss ways in which the local community could help get the Farm re-opened; it was agreed that our objective was to see the Farm revert to the activities enjoyed before the closure caused by the Foot and Mouth epidemic of 2001. These **included School Visits, the breeding of rare breeds of pigs and fowl, the regular presence of cattle and/or sheep in the fields, Art exhibitions and the monthly ‘Open Days’, with Teas available in the Tea House. In the long term, it is hoped that there would also be scope for other activities.
The Action Group included Cllr Graham Old and local MP, Mike Freer.
The Chair of the CFT resisted multiple attempts to liaise with the group, in spite of offers of help. It became clear that no current endeavours were made to meet the Charitable Objects of the Trust and that there was no attempt to raise funds to meet their purpose.
If you would like to see College Farm re-opened to the public, with activities similar to those enjoyed before 2001, please email [email protected].