Within the cherished historical village of Long Melford, a noticeable gap exists in available childcare for the littlest members of our community. Currently, there is no provision at all for children aged 0-3 years in the village, and there's only one provision for children from the term after they turn 3, at Long Melford CofE Primary School, leaving parents with limited options. 

According Suffolk's Childcare Sufficiency Assessment (CSA), there's to be a shortfall of 131 childcare places within the Sudbury area from September 2026. They note many families are migrating into Essex to access full day care provision. And the significant housing developments in Sudbury and Long Melford are impacting further on this demand. 

Little Tree Huggers aims to bring wholesome, holistic, Hygge-Waldorf Home Education, Childcare & a Family Hub to the community. We're a community rooted in kindness, fun and flexibility, with a commitment to building meaningful connections with every child and their family. We're dedicated to providing a warm, nurturing space where all families can thrive, enjoy fun-filled days, learn skills for life, connect with nature, themselves and others, make meaningful memories and form long lasting friendships. 

Little Tree Huggers has taken on the lease at the old Reformed Church Halls, spent a significant amount of time, money and effort into restoring this beautiful community building and preventing it from falling further into disrepair. The building itself is now completely ready to go, it's been inspected and given approval from Ofsted, it's fire compliant, and meets all health and safety requirements to cater for children. 

Under the lawful & current Use Class, F1, Little Tree Huggers has recently opened it's Home Education element, and would really like to now have the approval of a mixed Use Class to open its' much needed and wanted early years provision.  

The proposed nursery would: 

• Provide much-needed and wanted early years education and childcare for local families. 
• Reduce the need for many parents to travel to neighbouring towns for childcare. 
• Support working parents and carers by providing childcare closer to home.
• Create local employment opportunities. 
• Help sustain a thriving village for current and future generations.  
• Nurture children's well-being: Our approach makes the most of Long Melford's beautiful countryside, using outdoor time, gardening and natural play to build confidence and connection to the world around them. 
• Have a small, low impact set up: we will operate from an existing suitable and ready-to-go building with a private garden and no new building works needed. 
• Have the community at heart: We hope to run seasonal festivals, parent mornings and welcome links with local groups, becoming a friendly part of the village. 

Despite a recommended rejection from highway authorities, our dream to establish Little Tree Huggers Early Years Provision is driven by a desire to address this critical childcare gap. The proposal has garnered significant community support, as many parents are eager for a quality, nurturing educational and childcare environment for their children that is both close to home and accessible.

We are committed to overcoming any parking obstacle through working with fellow local businesses and establishments. We're currently in negotiations with the Football Club and the Cricket Club, and the Cock & Bell pub have kindly offered the use of their car park for our parents to use for both morning drop off and afternoon collection. By implementing traffic management plans and collaborating closely with local authorities, local businesses and residents, we are confident we can mitigate these issues effectively.

Please sign this petition to show your support for Little Tree Huggers Early Years Provision and to make a powerful statement for the educational and developmental needs of our youngest residents. Your signature can help make this vision a reality.