Nursery playground up against planning conflict

Little Stars Day Nursery in Ashton-on-Ribble, Preston, bought the equipment in May 2008, following a recommendation by Ofsted that it should introduce more challenging equipment to the outdoor area.

The nursery built the playset in the garden, but at the time was unaware that it needed planning permission.

Five months later Little Stars was told by Preston City Council that in order to keep the £6,889 installation, it would have to acquire planning permission, after neighbouring residents complained that children were able to see into their houses from the bridge across the top of the playset.

The nursery submitted an initial application but withdrew it after being told it would fail. A second application outlined possible compromises, such as turning the playset to face a different way or putting up a screen.

Nursery owner Joanne Farnworth said, 'The playset is not a permanent fixture and can be unclipped, bolted and built again. However, we are limited where we can place it because most of the space is taken up with other play equipment.

'We are trying to follow the curriculum and give children different opportunities for outdoor play, but there are so many grey areas with what we can and cannot do.'

The council is due to make a decision in the next eight weeks.

Jacky Brewer, a senior adviser at Learning Through Landscapes, said, 'It is always advisable that nurseries contact their local authority to find out if planning permission should be considered for any new large structure before the project starts.

'Any responsible company who develops large playground equipment would have built time to look at planning regulations into their costs, so it is a good idea to check before ordering equipment that this service is available.

'The PlayOut toolkit by LTL includes information on what settings need to consider before starting a new project outdoors, including legal and planning issues.'

Further information: www.ltl.org.uk.