We are excited to announce that planning has now been submitted for the new Sherston Pre-school.

You will be aware of the North Legacy announced in June 2016. Some of this has already been apportioned to the already completed playground scheme (See Cliffhanger April 2018). Following a bid process including a presentation at an open meeting of the parish council, we have been lucky enough to have been awarded £140K. We have been fundraising for the remaining projected costs and are excited to say, that whilst our fundraising is still ongoing, we are at a point where we can now proceed with this project.

The building will be owned by the Parish Council and we are excited to announce that it will be run by Pumpkins nursery, who have a track record of outstanding Ofsted ratings and a wealth of experience from their 3 existing provisions in Badminton and Tormarton and Acton Turville.

The Pre-school is expected to offer the village:

• A purpose built facility offering early years education for children of Pre-school age, from 2-5 years. Hours flexible from 8am-6pm to accommodate the working parent.
• Wrap-around care service for school aged children from Sherston C of E Primary School, including breakfast and after school care
• A Pre-school feeder provision for Sherston C of E primary school
• An additional space for the various Scout organisations to utilise when the provision is not in use, such as the evenings.

A vast amount of research has been completed on the possible locations for the Pre-school since we started working on the project nearly 3 years ago. Both existing buildings and possible land for a build around the village were considered. In conjunction with the Parish Council and the Scout Association, the group identified the location next to the Scout Hut on the recreation ground. We feel excited about what this location has to offer – proximity to the school, green space, and the heart of the village.

There will be no change to the new play equipment, but it is likely that we will need to re-locate the older rope climbing frame if planning permission is achieved – the cost of this is included in our budget. We are including provision for fencing to secure the hardstanding area outside the Pre-school from the green itself as a safety precaution due to the potential for cars to be turning in this space.

From a shortlist of three, we have awarded the design and build to a specialist company – TG Escapes. This company has a wealth of experience in educational buildings, and through them we have now submitted a planning application for a wooden, eco-style build with an enclosed play area. It will tap into existing services from the Scout hut, which will keep build costs down.

We are hoping to be up and running ready for an opening date of September 2019.

If you have further questions about this project, would like to pledge support or even make a donation to this project we would love to hear from you:

Contact:         sherstonpreschool@gmail.com

facebook page: “New Sherston Preschool”

www.facebook.com/people/New-Sherston-Preschool/100014274258655

For Pre-school or wrap-around care based queries please contact Amanda Wallis at Pumpkins:             www.pumpkinsnursery.co.uk

Planning Reference number: 19/01692/FUL