A Shropshire village day nursery could soon be able to cater for more youngsters if new plans get the go-ahead.

Hillside House Day Nursery in Lyth Hill Road, Bayston Hill, near Shrewsbury, wants to build an extension to provide accommodation for 24 extra children as well as a partially covered, fenced play area. The nursery is based at a two-storey home with a converted attached annex and double garage.

It currently cares for 34 babies and toddlers aged from three months to four years of age.

A design and access statement submitted to Shropshire Council says that following the creation of the merged Oakmeadow school, the day nursery facility next to the former Oakland Primary School will be lost.

It says: “The proposal is to return the 24 pre-school children and associated staff back to Hillside House.

“The proposal is to further extend the present building by 86.5m2 to accommodate the extra children.

“The extension will be single storey and to the rear of the present buildings, the visual impact from the approach being non-existent. The proposed number of children will be 54 maximum.”

The nursery says that since opening it has gone from strength to strength and has built up an “excellent” reputation locally as well as obtaining outstanding Ofsted reports in every category.

Agents for the applicants warn that if the application is refused the nursery would no longer be able to look after babies and claim it could result in job losses.

The statement says: “This being the only nursery within the Bayston Hill area taking babies, it would result in additional travel to other facilities around the town.

“In order to re-accommodate the pre-school children, the number of babies currently taken in would reduce by 24 with an associated reduction in staff of six to eight.”¦

A total of 17 staff are currently employed to operate the nursery including those employed at a site attached to the former Oakland School.

The agents say the noise implication of relocating the children will not be any greater than before when the children were originally located at Hillside.

A decision is due to be made on the plans by April 1.