Great Chesterford Nursery Update

8th February 2023

There are three outline action items in relation to completing the nursery project all of which interrelate: 

1. Funding

2. Nursery provider procurement

3. Building completion procurement 

Funding 

Funding has three sources: 

a.     Application to PWLB – Following a process that took the best part of 8 months, the PC’s application to the PWLB has been conditionally approved by the parish council borrowing department of the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities “DLUHC”.  

b.     Residual funds provided by DfE from the original funding – these funds remain available to GCPC.

c.      S106 contributions from the 76 and 124 (now 111) housing developments on London Road – confirmed by ECC that the EY contributions from the developer for both these developments are ring fenced as set out in s106 Agreements.  

All three sources of funding are confirmed.  The funding from the PWLB has two conditions to satisfy.  The first, a contract with a nursery provider.  The Second, the costs identified for completion of the nursery building.    Both discussed below. 

Nursery provider procurement 

a.     The formal procurement process of preparing a specification and advertising for a nursery provider has been carried out by GCPC in conjunction with the Early Years Children's Community Development team at ECC.     

b.     Following an assessment process and interview a potential nursery provider has been identified.   Confidentiality prevents at present the identify that nursery provider being disclosed, but as part of the assessment process visits have been made to its existing facilities with very positive feedback.   

Building completion procurement 

a.     As with Funding and Nursery provider procurement, GCPC has been working closely with ECC in relation to supporting the funding application to the DLUHC which required cost estimates for the completion of a nursery building.

 b.     ECC committed a significant amount of time and resources to assist GCPC in relation to the nursery project and took the view that once the funding application was submitted to the DLUHC they would assist further only when that funding was approved. 

c.      Following recent confirmation of funding from the DLUHC, ECC have revived their assistance and support to GCPC to provide a completed nursery building.   Plans have been developed between ECC Infrastructure delivery departments and GCPC.   Further updates will be provided as these plans and a timescale for delivery are refined. 

Archaeology 

a.     The difficulties with the lack of supervision by the previous nursery contractors in relation to archaeology led in part to that arrangement being ended. 

b.     Completion of the Archaeological assessment is an important feature of the project to provide a completed nursery.  Further work is required on the site and assessment of what has been already removed.   The intention is to involve local interested parties in the further on-site work.   

Timescales  

a.     A full programme is being developed in conjunction with ECC.  The present estimate for completion is Q1/Q2 of 2024.    The village will be updated as the date for commencement and completion is refined. 

This has been a project which has had the appearance of having stalled.  However there has been considerable work in the background for the PC with ECC and other parties to arrive at a position where the project can potentially proceed with funding obtained and a potential nursery provider identified.   The PC is aware there is some frustration within the village at not having the promised nursery facility completed yet.  That is fully understandable.  This was a very complicated set of circumstances, not a situation of the PC’s making and it has taken some time and a great deal of time and effort  (with ECC and others) to work through to a suitable solution. We are very determined to have a high quality facility, in a building which will be in use for many decades and in the view of GCPC it has been essential and worth taking the time now to get it back on track to deliver the facility we all deserve to have.