A CHARITY which helps people with brain injuries is pleading with councillors to allow it to move to a new centre.

Headway wants to move from its base at the Headlands Trading Estate to a larger home in empty office space at the Dorcan Complex in Faraday Road when its lease expires next month.

The move has backing from users, Swindon Borough Council’s commission team and South Swindon MP Robert Buckland.

But officers have recommended tonight’s planning committee refuse the group permission to change the use of the premises into space for rehabilitation because there is inadequate parking.

There will only be 12 spaces at Dorcan and many of the surrounding roads have double yellow lines, which the council’s roads team feel would lead to illegal parking.

While there has been talk about using car parks at other nearby units, nothing has officially been agreed.

A report set to go before the committee reads: “Officers would support the reasoning for the relocation of the service and welcome the re-use of the vacant units and the potential increase in employment that this proposal would bring in the area.

“However, on balance, the proposed use is not acceptable due to the lack of off-road parking to serve the property.

“A suggestion has been made to provide some parking at nearby premises.

“However, this would be in conflict with the individual planning consents of those sites and no agreement has been suggested to formalise these provisions.”

But Headway says the move will allow it to offer more services.

Centre manager Jane Weston said: “We have already received some positive response from councillors for which we are very grateful.

“This is an important step in the growth and development of the charity as we look to not only continue to support vulnerable adults in our community, but also deliver more services to help people rebuild their lives and regain a degree of independence.

“We know that with the right help, at the right time, there can be life after brain injury and we have our fingers crossed that the committee will see fit to support our application.”

Headway is the country’s leading charity for helping people with brain injuries and the Swindon branch has support from the council.

A letter from the commissioning team says: “Headway has supported 96 clients since January 2015, referrals are increasing from a range of professionals and there is unlikely to be a drop in service demand.

“The larger premises would enable Headway to extend their service offer and operate a new outreach programme.

“This will reduce the risk of clients being referred to other local authority or NHS services, or being placed on a waiting list and not getting the intervention required.”