Plans for nursery approved in Trellech

A nursery based at a community centre is to have a purpose built new home within the grounds of a primary school – despite concerns over parking. 

Busy Bodies Playgroup is currently based at the Babington Community Centre, which is close to Trellech Primary School in the village, prompting the local community council to object, fearing it will increase congestion in the area. 

Monmouthshire council’s planning committee however approved the application, by the county council, to build a new single story structure on land at the school as well as an off-site car parking space for dropping off and collecting children with a path from it to the nursery. 

Councillors were told the drop off space is on land next to the school grounds, owned by a housing company, and there is an agreement in place for it to be used for parking, with staggered starting times also intended to ease traffic in the area. 

Trellech United Community Council however said while it had no objection to the nursery, or the design of its new building which includes solar panels on its flat roof, it was worried by the impact on traffic. 

It said: “Councillors are concerned about parking provision and traffic congestion at the school site, which are already a problem and will only be made worse.” 

Planning officer Andrew Jones said the council’s highway officers said there were no grounds for objection and that there are no plans to expand the independently run playgroup that has capacity for 24 children, though it rarely accepts more than 19. It employs four staff but that can number up to six. 

Trellech county councillor Jayne McKenna said she and fellow ward member Cllr Richard John supported the application. 

She told the committee she noted the community council’s concerns but said they were addressed by the additional parking and staggered start times: “I’m sure that the surrounding community and residents will know if they chose to live in an area that is in close proximity to a school that twice a day, for a very short period of time, the traffic and ease of parking will be slightly increased”. 

She added the application will also allow the Babington Centre to be used for more community and church activities and that Trellech Primary has “lots of grounds” meaning the new unit can be “easily accommodated without a detrimental impact and a loss of play area”. 

Councillors approved the application and also recommended a proposed condition limiting use of the new centre to the nursery’s current opening hours of 9.15am to 1.15pm on Mondays and Fridays and 9.15am to 3.15pm on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursdays be dropped.