Bolton settings tell council they may be forced to close

Already one nursery in Bolton, Greater Manchester, has shut this year because of rising costs. A second setting, Elms Nursery, which has been operating for 28 years, is due to close in a couple of weeks.

A source at Elms Nursery told Nursery World they had hoped to keep the setting open until Easter, but with the introduction of the National Living Wage, auto-enrolment pensions, and other rising costs, that would not be possible.

Nurseries in Bolton are facing a ‘triple whammy’ of costs from April, with business rates going up – in some cases doubling – reduced or stagnant funding for the free entitlement (the funding rates are currently being consulted on), and an increase in the living wage. This is on top of the phasing in of automatic pensions and the requirement for all staff to be first-aid trained.

A number of providers in the town have expressed concern about their future, and have formed an alliance to lobby the council and Government.

Of the 75 nurseries and 11 childminders in the Bolton Alliance of Early Years Professionals and Owners, half (43) are concerned about sustainability in the next two years. This is the equivalent of just under 50 per cent of the total number of registered early years providers (91) in Bolton.

The 30 hours entitlement is being rolled out in September, following its pilot.