Over-subscribed Chelmsford nursery to expand
Plans for Buttercup Montessori Kindergarten have been approved
A “heavily over-subscribed” Essex nursery is set to expand with more than 60 extra child places, after plans were given the green light by the council.
Buttercup Montessori Kindergarten, in Cuton Hall Lane, Chelmer Village, is planning to build a new nursery next to the existing site, which will create 63 new child places.
The plans are set to create 15 new jobs on the site and two further roles located off-site in admin and finance, supporting the enlarged business. Plans for the existing nursery were agreed in October 2014.
The nursery currently provides day care and pre-school education for up to 119 children. The plans state that the nursery was constructed in response to high demand for nursery places. According to the planning documents, it has been full and oversubscribed since opening.
The plans state that changes in government-funded child care and increases in housing have resulted in “a very significant lack of suitable” early years education and nursery places in the city.
The plans state: “The new nursery building is proposed in response to demand for nursery and pre-school places and the present chronic lack of places across the city. There is evidence of very strong demand for more childcare provision in Chelmsford, and the applicants are well placed to provide this by making more effective use of the land already within their site.
“The existing nursery is heavily over-subscribed, as is the existing, long-established second site owned by the applicants at 125 Watchhouse Road, Galleywood. This was established in 2001.
“It is the opinion of the applicants that the demand for nursery places meeting a vital social and economic need justifies their proposal to locate a second nursery on the site. The proposal is a highly sustainable approach, making best use of the existing site and generous car park, offering childcare places where they are needed close to centres of population, and also supporting two large employment areas.
“From September 2025, there will be a further increased demand when the 30-hour Government-funded scheme for children under three years of age becomes applicable. These changes, combined with new housing growth in the city, have again resulted in there being a very significant lack of suitable early years education and nursery places in Chelmsford.”