Parents' anger over plan to shut Thomas Telford Nursery
Furious parents today spoke out about their anger and despair at the decision to close a Telford nursery at the end of July.
The Shropshire Star revealed yesterday that Thomas Telford Nursery, in Old Park, will shut on July 31.
It comes just two weeks after the nursery dropped plans to close for three weeks at Easter for a refurbishment.
Parents were informed by post of the permanent closure and said the lack of communication from bosses had been 'disgusting'.
Managers say they have made the decision because the nursery, which has five staff, was no longer suitable to meet Government standards.
Mum-of-three Sara Ball, who has two children at the nursery aged two and three, and a six- year-old daughter at Thomas Telford Primary School, criticised the decision.
She said she felt it had been pushed through as an immediate reaction to the outrage parents voiced over the short notice given for the planned refurbishment.
Mrs Ball said she had spent over £60,000 in fees in five years, and added: "I feel the decision has been rushed with no thought to the effects on our children or the consequences to parents."
She added: "I am so disappointed with the management. My eldest daughter started at the nursery when she was just six months old. I have been to the nursery five days a week for over five years.
"I can't praise the staff enough. They are wonderful. All my children received the best care possible, in a small, caring environment. My three-year-old son Lewis now has to go through the upset and upheaval of finding a new nursery just for the month of August before he comes back to Thomas Telford school in September."
Self-employed mum Jo Clifton said: "I pulled my daughter out of the nursery after the fiasco with closing for three weeks over Easter.
"I thought it was an appalling decision and the short notice caused so much stress to parents."
Her daughter Elle Daisy, two, now has a place at another nursery.
Ms Clifton said: "It was a distressing decision because my daughter has been there for 12 months since she was nine months old. She was settled there with friends."
She said the closure would leave many parents stuck without childcare for August because many nurseries would not have new spaces until the start of the new school term in September.
The governors at the nursery have organised a meeting for April 22, but parents said they felt it was too little, too late.
Mrs Ball said: "What good is a meeting in a month's time when parents have to start thinking about alternative arrangements now?"
