Protest after nursery given early eviction

A campaign is underway to save a much-loved local nursery which South Gloucestershire Council is evicting this Christmas.

Rocking Horse Day Nursery has operated from the Grange School site in Warmley for over 25 years but, as tenants, faced an uncertain future when the Grange School went into special measures and was eventually closed last summer.

The site – which is also home to Warmley Park School for children with special educational needs and a brand new Digitech studio school which opened this month – was not due for official closure until the end of August 2017.

But South Glos Council is meeting next week in a bid to bring the closure date forward to October 31 this year – and this summer issued the nursery notice to vacate the premises by the end of the year.

More than 50 parents and many staff attended a meeting at the nursery on Wednesday to voice their concern over the move, which could see up to 70 children displaced and around 20 staff out of a job. They’ve launched a campaign and have gathered more than 650 signatures on a petition.

Parents and staff, most of whom have worked there for more than a decade, are now facing the challenge of either finding a new premises for the nursery and completing a move in a matter of months or finding alternative childcare provision and employment.

South Gloucestershire Council said it was supporting the nursary in finding a replacement site.

Nursery owner Julia Davies says the council invested thousands in their outdoor area and recently requested she apply for a grant to help cover the grant for the increased 30 hours government funded childcare from September 2017 so she doesn’t understand why they are now demanding the nursery leave.

She said: “We desperately want to stay in what has been our home for quarter of a century now. The parents are as upset as we the staff are.”

“It would be an absolute disaster for the children, their families, and the dedicated staff if the Rocking Horse was to go, and it would also be a huge loss to the local community,” said mum Katie Rakoczi.

“Both my girls attended the nursery, which has meant everything to us over the past four years and still does. It’s a fun, supportive and nurturing learning environment where children thrive and parents feel like part of the family.”

Rocking Horse Day Nursery also caters for children with specific needs, including one toddler with leukaemia and another with Aspergers. Parents say the council has not properly considered the impact on the individual children and families.

A spokesman for South Gloucestershire Council said : “We have kept the owners fully informed about the decision to close the school site since a decision was taken in March 2015.

“As part of these discussions, we stressed the need for the nursery to find alternative premises and supported them in their search, including offering replacement accommodation.”

You can sign the petition here.

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