Future looks brighter for closure-threatened Wisbech nursery

THE future looks brighter for a Wisbech nursery threatened with closure after Cambridgeshire County Council agreed to look at options for how it can continue to run it.

Mum-of-two Aimee Cooper collected more than 250 petition signatures from parents and residents determined to protect the future of the Oasis Nursery School.

The county council had claimed the nursery was under-used and that the adjoining children’s centre needed more space.

In a consultation last month the authority provided two options - close the nursery or look for another organisation to run it.

But the community’s response appears to have saved the facility, which has been less than half full since it opened in 2005.

A council spokesman said: “We were delighted with the response we received to the initial consultation. It was our chance to touch base with the community and find out how valuable the nursery was to them.

“As a result, we have decided not to close the nursery, but to launch a second stage of the consultation on how the county council might continue running a childcare facility on site, and the costs involved.

“We plan to start this consultation at the end of January.”

Ms Cooper had previously questioned the consultation process and accused the county council of “washing its hands” of the nursery.