Parents' anger at closure of nursery

One angry mother this week accused Sussex Coast College Hastings of having an 'uncaring attitude' over its plans.

Monica Jenner, of Essenden Road, St Leonards, said the children will be stuck without places once Butterflies Nursery shuts at the end of July.

The nursery is based at the old Hastings College site in Archery Road.

Mrs Jenner said: "I have a three-year-old daughter who has attended the nursery for more than a year and she loves it.

"Last month I received a badly written letter from Sussex Coast College Hastings informing me of the closure.

"The managers of the college are not thinking of the 30 children, who will no longer have a nursery, nor the seven excellent members of staff who will probably be without work.

"In the area where I live there is no other place available for my child, as both my husband and I work. Unfortunately we do not have any close relative who could help us.

"As with many other families, we do not know what to do and, for my part, I do not want to have to stop working, because my wages help to pay the mortgage.

"The uncaring attitude of the managers of Sussex Coast College Hastings, shown by the dismissive tone of a letter that they did not even bother to proof read, hardly corresponds to an organization that aspires to inspire futures and change lives."

College bosses closed Caterpillars Nursery at the college's St Saviour's Road site last summer as part of the development of the new Station Plaza campus.

A college spokesman said: "We understand and sympathise with the challenges this closure creates for the parents and children who attend Butterflies Nursery.

"While a continuation of nursery facilities would be desirable in the longer term, the education sector, like many others, is operating within a climate of severe financial constraints.

"With many difficult budgetary decisions to take, the college must balance its more general role in the community with its main job of providing education and skills to young people and adults in the Hastings area."

He said the relocation of the college to Station Plaza and Ore Valley had been known by the public 'for a number of years'.

He added: "Consultation with staff, learners and parents connected with the nursery based at Archery Road started in 2009 and is ongoing.

"Alternative provision has been thoroughly explored and this work continues with the county council.

"The college is committed to finding childcare places for all learners affected by the closure and will continue to consult with the nursery team.

"Childcare provision within one of the campuses will remain an ambition for the college in the future. It is obviously very disappointing that this will not be a possibility for the 2010/11 academic year."

Any parent who would like to discuss this issue in more detail should contact the college's learner support manager, Catherine Denning on 01424 458333.