Threatened nursery hits back

Sunflower House Nursery is part of the Hazles Farm group and was told earlier this year that it would be losing its base in Sundorne because the centre has been earmarked by Shropshire Council to become one of seven new hubs following the reorganisation of Sure Start.

Shropshire Council has said it will attempt to find an alternative location but still nothing has been found months down the line.

Kerry Owen, manager of the nursery said: "A lot of our parents are having to change their hours at work or leave work altogether because they can’t get to another setting as well as other issues such as dropping siblings off at school and then travelling to work.

"There is such a lack of childcare especially for under twos in the area and who open the hours we do, I don’t understand where the council are getting their information from.

She added that the nursery is still waiting to find a new setting and she is due to meet with council officers this week. But she said: "We haven’t been offered anything, we have not got an alternative location.

"We are offering places at our Mulberry Bush setting and our Crowmoor setting but we can’t accommodate everyone."

Earlier this year the nursery was told it must be out by August 30.

More than 1,000 people signed a petition to get the decision overturned.

Despite support from a number of councillors, it was thrown out at the Shropshire Council meeting last week.

She said: "The outcome of 'no action' was decided even though there has been immense public support and numerous.

"Councillors expressed their concerns at the meeting. We were told of the outcome before the meeting even started which I have questioned as how can a decision be made before myself or other Councillors have spoken? We are all devastated that the community's views are not being listened to."

Now Kerry has written an open letter to Clive Wright, chief executive of Shropshire Council. In her letter she said: "I understand that the plans to create Sunflower House into a Hub is of huge importance to the new Early Help model in Shropshire and I also appreciate the benefits this will have especially to the most vulnerable families within the community.

"However, it is constantly being implied that these services are being physically run from the setting. The site in fact, is merely being used as office space for workers to then go out into the community to work with families directly, please correct me if I am wrong? The site is therefore just being used as office space and remains empty a large majority of the time.

"Why this location, why not make use of other buildings that the council own and turn them into offices? Why evict a successful nursery that is also providing vital services to the vulnerable families you are stating you are also helping?"

Karen Bradshaw, Shropshire Council’s director of children’s services, said: “Whilst it was determined that the council would take no further action following the debate at Council Meeting, the Cabinet member Ed Potter committed to hold further discussions with the owner of Hazels Farm Childcare, who run Sunflower House Nursery.”