Little Puddleducks nursery gets permission to expand after caring for 46 children, exceeding its allowed 33 since 2017.
The nursery is in a listed building next to old trees. In 2017, they were allowed 33 kids, but they’ve had 46 for years. South Gloucestershire Council took action, and the nursery asked to keep 46 kids and for more parking spaces, which harmed tree roots.
Dominic Trotman-Dickenson spoke against the expansion, saying it hurts the historic area. Parents arrive at the same time, between 8:30 and 9:00 AM, which he described as chaos.
Sacha Hallard, who runs Little Puddleducks, said drop-off is fast, with parents spending just three minutes. Kids arrive at different times, from 8:00 to 9:30 AM, and pick-up is from 4:00 to 6:00 PM.
Big housing projects are planned nearby, and the nursery needs more room to stay open. If they cannot expand, it will close, affecting many families, and twenty-two staff members would lose their jobs. Closing would hurt the community.
One councillor was shocked by the original decision, stating they must protect irreplaceable heritage assets and follow planning rules, especially in sensitive areas. She added that it’s wrong to break the rules.
Another councillor thought the parking area was a mess and felt they would reject it if new. A report said the kids matter most and asked if thirteen more children would harm local assets. Childcare help supported it, citing a shortage of baby spaces.
The report said the good outweighs the harm. One councillor emphasized the baby space shortage and the importance of early education. Another agreed they would reject a new nursery but acknowledged that the nursery already exists. He dislikes such requests.
One councillor said the harm existed since 2017 and didn’t think it would get worse. This gives them a chance to fix root damage. An officer said action stopped for now, and new rules will protect trees. Councillors voted to approve it.