Hope for nursery

TALKS are continuing behind the scenes in a bid to save St Michael's Nursery in Uckfield.

It is understood two developers have expressed an interest in taking over the convent site with provision for the nursery to remain there.

And the Sisters of Mercy, who are based at Midhurst, have said if that happens they would want to continue their oversight of it in terms of care, legal and back up, according to business manager Mr William Swabey.

Mr Swabey told the Express yesterday: 'We are still talking to people who are interested. The only people we are talking to from the Convent point of view are those who are prepared to do property development around it but also keep open the nursery and keep it running in the present way.

'In that case the Sisters of Mercy would want to continue their oversight of it. The nursery runs itself perfectly already. They would want to keep oversight in care terms, legal and back up.'

Closure

But Mr Swabey again stressed there was still the possibility the talks would fail as, he said, happened in 80 per cent of such cases. Plans for closure would continue through to July to the end of the summer term unless halted because agreement was reached.

News that the sisters would be interested in carrying on was greeted with delight by those campaigning to save the nursery.

Parent Annette Wood said: 'That would be fantastic'. She and other parents are due to hand a petition to Mr Swabey on Monday and plan to ask him then for a reprieve for the nursery for another year to give people time to consider a way of setting up a new governing body if the sisters do pull out.

'We are also hoping to speak to David Cole, chairman of the parish, to try and get the nursery brought under the parish so that a governing body could be established within the parish to enable the nursery to continue into the future.'

Access and the integrated nature of the convent building with neighbouring St Philip's Catholic Primary School could pose problems for a potential developer.

Indeed, chairman of the school governors Mr Simon Watts said his most pressing concern at the moment was to sort out what was owned by the school, what was owned by the Catholic parish and what was owned by the Sisters of Mercy. One commentator said there would not be a quick fix to disposal of the site with so many issues involved and so much integration with the school.

Survival

Prospects for the nursery's survival, if offered the chance to remain on the site, had been questioned too. For if the Sisters of Mercy pulled out of their management role there would be nobody to fill that function.

So far there have been many offers of support for anybody taking on the business, from parish chairman Mr David Cole, from chairman of governors Mr Watts and from parents campaigning to save the nursery.

'The view of the parish is we would like to see the nursery saved and we are talking to groups to see what we can do,' said Mr Cole.

Mr Watts said school governors were keen to help. 'I am sure we would have people on the governing body who could work beside and form a link between school governors and the nursery.'