Upset as Wigan nursery which 'oozes warmth' announces closure

They were handed a letter as they collected children from Brooklands Childcare, in Garswood, informing them the nursery will shut.

Places have been offered at the Brooklands nursery in Bryn, but parents say they love the care provided in Garswood.

More than 200 people have joined a Facebook group, named Save Brooklands Nursery Garswood, to discuss the closure and whether a new provider could take over.

Melissa Waring’s three-year-old son George and daughter Charlotte, one, attend the nursery.

She said: “It’s where my children go, it’s where my children are cared for. I looked at numerous nurseries and visited other nurseries. While there are nurseries out there that I liked, there were no nurseries that I loved.

"I walked into Brooklands and had a feeling, it had an impact on me. When I walked in the building, it oozed warmth.

"The staff there are like a family. One member of staff has worked there for 28 years and Brooklands has only been open for 30 years.”

She praised the facilities available at Brooklands, particularly its outdoor space.

Lucy and Paul Bennett are worried about finding another nursery for their two-year-old son Arlo, who has additional needs.

Paul said: “He’s registered disabled – he’s got global development delay – so it was really difficult for us to find a nursery that would meet Arlo’s needs.

"Since he has been attending, the staff have been fantastic. They have settled him in brilliantly. Emma, who is the manager, actually looked after Arlo’s mum when she was a baby, so they have all been here a really long time.

"It’s just really upsetting that it’s going to be closing down.

"If the nursery’s not here, Arlo’s got his additional needs and it’s not going to be a simple process for us to find another nursery and get Arlo in there.”

Brooklands Childcare offers both both full-time and part-time childcare and has four other sites – two in Hindley, one in Bryn and one in Leigh.

The Garswood nursery, on Montrey Crescent, was rated as “good” after its most recent Ofsted inspection.

A spokesman for Brooklands Childcare said: “We are saddened that after 30 years of providing high-quality childcare for the Garswood community, we are sadly closing on July 19. There have been many factors that have contributed to the decision, most of which are beyond our control, but include rising costs, building maintenance and occupancy levels.

"All our staff have been given the opportunity to relocate. We have got four other sites so no-one will be out of work.”

She said that none of the other nurseries were due to close and children had been offered places at the Bryn site.

A spokesman for the Archdiocese of Liverpool, which is the landlord of the nursery, said: “As their lease had expired, the archdiocese served a notice on the tenant in January offering them a new lease. The tenant has chosen not to proceed with a new lease. We cannot comment on the reasons why the tenant decided not to proceed with a new lease as they have not been shared with us.

“The archdiocese will now review other options for the site.”