Two Bexhill nurseries to close later this year

Cygnets, in Egerton Road, and Rainbow, in Ninfield Road, will shut on December 31 as part of a wider set of changes intended to save £2.6m from the authority’s children’s services budget.

Plans to close the two nurseries were first announced in 2019, before hundreds signed a petition calling on the county council to rethink their proposed cuts.

In October, the county council looked at maintaining their funding for another year.

Then, in May, the county council said it would keep the nurseries open until December 31 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The council said this was to allow time to assess whether other childcare providers in Bexhill would be able to provide sufficient childcare places if the nurseries closed.

In a letter to parents on Friday (July 17), the county council said it has received confirmation that there will be enough childcare places for the children in Bexhill.

As a result, the council will be progressing with the decision to close Rainbow and Cygnets nurseries at the end of December.

In her letter, Celia Lamden, the head of early help services at the county council, said: “I am sorry that this is not the outcome that you were hoping for and I fully understand how unsettling it is to change your child’s nursery settings. The uncertainty about the future of Rainbow and Cygnets has been going on for over a year now and we therefore want you to have as much time as possible to find alternative care for your children.

“I recognise how difficult this period of uncertainty has been for the staff teams and despite the increasing uncertainty that the teams have faced both Cygnets and Rainbow have continued to provide excellent care for children. This demonstrates the commitment that all staff and managers have shown to the children and families throughout.”

East Sussex County Council has been approached for comment.