The pressure group Friends of Hackney Nurseries is campaigning for the Oranges and Lemons community nursery and Wetherell council nursery to remain open. Both nurseries have provided a service to the local community for more than 20 years.
Last year parents and children sat in at two council-funded day nurseries to keep them open (News, 16 November 2000), but one closed in January.
Wetherell Nursery is in a building leased to Hackney Council by Crown Estates for only 200 per year. The building is now in disrepair and Pounds 10,000 is needed to fix it, but the council is allegedly not prepared to pay despite being contractually obliged to keep the building in good repair. The 38-place nursery, earmarked for closure in a council 'best value' review earlier this year, is now due to close at the end of August.
Parent Len Lucas said, 'We're all furious and unhappy. The children had to temporarily move out of the building at Christmas because of a leaking roof and we understood repairs were being done to make it safe. Rather than working with us to sustain the nursery the council has been looking at ways to close it.'
Oranges and Lemons had to move temporarily from its Shoreditch Church site while the building was restored and a new nursery built. It was re-housed at the Linden Early Years Centre while work was carried out, but delays mean this will not be completed until early next year. However, the council will not allow the nursery to remain in its temporary premises and no alternative accommodation has been found.
The deputation to the education committee said, 'We are asking councillors to allow us to stay in Linden House or other premises, and restore our grant, until we can move into our new premises.' Alan Wood, Hackney director of education, said, 'Overall, the level of nursery provision continues to be maintained. All children will be offered places elsewhere in the borough.'
