A NURSERY which cares for almost 100 children and has been described as a ‘lifeline’ by parents is facing a race against time to keep open - and bosses admit if they don’t find anywhere before Christmas they will be forced to close.
Shining Stars Day Care and Nursery has been based in the grounds of St Helen’s Primary School in Monk Bretton since the pandemic.
It is run by Katie Harris and owner Amanda Goodier.
They were told that they would have to leave their current premises earlier this year and had set out plans to move to another unit at Carlton Industrial Estate - and they were hopeful this would ensure the nursery would remain open.
However, the pair were dealt a devastating blow last week after being told their plans had been rejected due to concerns around parking.
Katie told the Chronicle: “We run the nursery during term time and we also supply SEN children with short breaks.
“We support low-income households and we’ve been running the Healthy Holidays scheme here as well.
“We work in a deprived area and we do a lot for the community.
“We’ve got 80 kids on the roll during term time and then even more on the Healthy Holidays scheme.
“Unfortunately the council aren’t looking at the bigger picture.
“We make sure we have food for these kids.
“We work so hard to make sure that kids don’t go without.”
Amanda said that they are now facing a race against time to keep the school open - and admits that if they haven’t found a new space by Christmas that they will have to shut up shop.
She added: “It’s now a race against time.
“There are no properties out there.
“We’re just fighting, fighting and fighting.
“If we don’t have a building by Christmas then we’re not going to be able to do anything.”
Amanda said that the council mentioned alternative facilities in areas as far away as Grimethorpe - but says it is just not sustainable.
“We can’t expect parents to pay more to go elsewhere,” she added.
“It’s a big thing to have to ask them to go so far - people just can’t afford it.”
Parent Lucy Oakley, 25, from Lundwood, said that the closure would leave parents ‘distraught’.
She added: “It’s the only affordable nursery that we have in our area.
“Our daughter Daisy has settled in really well and you feel like you’re a part of the community when you’re there.
“Daisy always comes home with a smile.
“I don’t think that I’d be able to work if this closed down.
“I’d be distraught.”
Another parent, Laura Mitchell, added: “The wellbeing of our children and the stability of local families depend on access to quality childcare.
“Shining Stars Nursery is an invaluable part of our community, providing love, care and support to children in a nurturing environment.
“It has a fantastic track record of helping children thrive, grow and develop and plays a critical role in identifying and addressing the needs of children and families early on.
“The closure of this nursery would have a profound negative impact on over 70 children, including my own son, who currently attend Shining Stars, disrupting their early education and care.”
Coun Robin Franklin, cabinet spokesperson for regeneration and culture, told the Chronicle the council’s working to support the nursery.
He added: “When our teams assess planning applications, we consider lots of factors to determine whether the application is suitable and appropriate.
“In this instance, the site is based on an industrial estate and has raised a number of concerns around the compatibility of it being used as a children’s day nursery.
“Due to the other businesses operating in the surrounding area, there are risks of noise and dust which could affect children and staff if the application was agreed.
“Similarly, we have concerns about the risks of existing businesses that operate HGVs and other commercial vehicles in close proximity to a nursery.
“This has the potential to introduce significant safety issues when picking up and dropping off children.
“We understand the frustrations raised about past use of the building - however, the previous owners of the site did not have planning permission to run a non-industrial business.
“If they had submitted an application, similar concerns would have been raised.
“We empathise with the operators of Shining Stars Nursery, and our teams are committed to working proactively with them to find a venue that is safe and suitable.”
