Nursery World - Booted out of the centre

By Keith Archer, Equal Grade Ltd, north-east Lincolnshire Occasionally one has a feeling of being out in the cold - perhaps never more so than during the current planning phase for children's centres. We, no doubt like many voluntary and private providers, find ourselves looking at an approved local cabinet report which has identified a number of proposed children's centres to be developed on school sites between now and 2008.

Occasionally one has a feeling of being out in the cold - perhaps never more so than during the current planning phase for children's centres. We, no doubt like many voluntary and private providers, find ourselves looking at an approved local cabinet report which has identified a number of proposed children's centres to be developed on school sites between now and 2008.

These sites have been chosen with absolutely no discussion with local private and voluntary providers, including a number of Neighbourhood Nurseries. As in many other parts of the country, new childcare is being developed when many nurseries are only between 50 per cent and 70 per cent full. NDNA's report Why duplicate? makes the case - why build new when existing provision is under-capacity?

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