Parents win battle to set up new nursery in warehouse despite it being branded ‘unacceptable’

By Joe Coughlan, Local Democracy Reporter

Parents have won their battle to open a new nursery in a warehouse, after council officers said the plans were “unacceptable” and “inappropriate”.

Residents wrote 149 online comments in support of the new nursery.

Greenwich council has approved plans for a new nursery and children’s play area to be built at a warehouse in Armstrong Road in Woolwich.

The proposal was sent by Under 1 Roof, which runs a nursery about 250 metres away from the new site, but the current building is scheduled to be sold this year.

Brendan Meade, planning officer for Greenwich council, said the warehouse proposed by the applicants was surrounded by industrial units, and called it “unacceptable” to expose children to the pollutants that would be produced.

He said: “The introduction of an outdoor children’s play area is therefore considered to be wholly inappropriate.

“Noting the surrounding industrial uses which are likely to be noise intensive and the proximity of which to a noise sensitive children’s play area would be unacceptable.”

But Jenifer Ordonez, 35, a parent who sent both her kids to the nursery, previously said: “As a parent, and how [the nursery shutting down] will affect childcare in the area, I will have to step away from my job.

“That means less income, and it puts a burden on my husband. Financially as well, not just for me, I know it will affect the community, people will be jobless.”

Matt Milchard, a director and founder of Under 1 Roof, claimed that a representative from the council’s Early Years team came to visit the site and said: “It’s a no brainer, the building is perfect.”

He estimated that losing the company’s current nursery would cause 80 to 90 jobs being lost.

He said: “Our staff are very vigilant. My children went to my nursery. I would not put my children in if I didn’t trust my staff, my team and our attention to detail.”

Pictured top: The warehouse in Armstrong Road in Woolwich, where Under 1 Roof submitted plans to open a new nursery (Picture: Joe Coughlan)