Council gives green light to extension plan for Chesterfield nursery where demand for childcare is high
The operator of a nursery in a Chesterfield community where there is a high demand for childcare has been granted planning permission to expand its accommodation.
Nursery Rhymes Day Nursery at 619 Sheffield Road, Sheepbridge is poised for a single storey ground floor extension to the rear elevation.
The applicant Seijal Odedra, who is director of Westwards Nursery & Nursery Rhymes, said in a letter to Chesterfield Borough Council that the nursery had been awarded funding from the Government’s Expansion Grant Scheme.
Nurseries are required by Ofsted and the Early Years Foundation Stage statutory framework to adhere to indoor space standards. These are: children under two years – 3.5 m² per child, two-year-olds – 2.5m² per child, children aged 3-5 years – 2.33.5 m² per child.
In the letter, the applicant stated that the 2-3 year olds currently occupy the smallest room of the three age groups and this is the room where the nursery experiences the most demand and where there is also a waiting list. The room is 20m² and offers space for only eight children. To accommodate additional children, the nursery requires an additional 25m², hence the proposal for a five-metre projection.
An officer’s report to the council read: “The proposal will lead to a small increase in demand for the day nursery with eight more children attending and equivalent to four full time staff members. The existing operation has a car park to the front of the site for 13 vehicles and manoeuvring and some availability for safe onstreet parking to the front of the site.”
The proposed extension would be on the side of the existing single storey section and would extend close to the north-western side boundary of the application site, which adjoins the rear garden of a neighbouring residential property at 621 Sheffield Road. The officer’s report stated: “This adjoining land is utilised for the parking of vehicles which appear to be associated with 621 and 623 Sheffield Road. No objections have been received from the residents of these dwellings. In terms of overshadowing and massing the proposal is not considered to have a harmful impact on the occupiers of these dwellings. In terms of overlooking, the introduction of a new window on the eastern elevation of the existing rear section would potentially overlook the side garden of the neighbouring dwelling at 207 Sheffield Road, it is considered that this window could be obscure glazed to reduce the impact of overlooking, whilst still providing natural light into the kitchen area.”
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