Our children's much-loved nursery is under threat from developers. This family-run pre-school could be demolished under reckless plans being developed by Waltham Forest Council.

Penrhyn Pre-School was purpose-built and has been located at its current site for nearly 20 years. It attracts families from across the borough because of its warm and family-centric atmosphere. It has an extensive outdoor space, which is used imaginatively and year-round. It’s ideal for children with additional needs, who might struggle in a larger, busier nursery.

But right now the nursery is facing demolition, jobs are at risk and children’s lives face huge disruption because of plans to build a multi-service “hub”.

There is no confirmed plan for what this hub will look like. A new nursery has been promised within the development, but it could be positioned alongside a gym and other Council services. Such a hectic, general-purpose environment could present safeguarding issues, and make it inaccessible to children with additional needs. It is likely that the nursery's outdoor space will also be lost or significantly reduced, in an area where there is already a real lack of green space and many families do not have have access to gardens at home. The hub also threatens the future of the nearby historic library, community centre and several small businesses.

Despite their highly regarded track record, the current nursery owners may be forced to tender to run this new site, and the space will be offered at market rate, which will push up childcare costs. This is a demoralising and unsettling prospect for staff and parents. The children also face huge disruption. They’ll first be moved into portacabins, then a new location, with a potentially unknown group of staff. While some will cope with fine this, it will be extremely unsettling for the more vulnerable, presenting a significant risk to their early years education.

Please help us save the nursery from the bulldozers. If enough of us speak out against these poorly conceived proposals, the Council will be forced to listen. With local elections coming up, this is a key time to let Councillors know you’re unhappy about their plans.

Add your voice. Don’t let Penrhyn Pre-School be destroyed.

Photo credit: with kind permission from Waltham Forest Guardian

Read the Waltham Forest Guardian article

Penrhyn Pre-School Ofsted report