Building issues lead to a permanent closure of Potterton nursery setting

On Wednesday families whose children attend Potterton Nursery were informed by Aberdeenshire Council that the setting would not be reopening following a closure for repairs earlier in the year.

Parents with children at Potterton Nursery setting were informed on August 18 that children would need to attend Balmedie School Nursery due to health and safety concerns related to the building.

The legal requirements for Early Learning Centres have seen new standards introduced and there were concerns that required repairs including a hole in the roof, fire escape suitability and gates and railinging around the premises may be viewed by the Care Inspectorate as unsafe.

Education bosses have now in a letter to parents outlined their decision to close the setting.

However local councillor Jenny Nicol who is one of the affected familes has raised the matter on the basis that this has been done without any public consultation or community engagement.

Families currently have the options to send children to Balmedie Nursery or are encouraged to consider nursery placements in Aberdeen City if community.

In November due to repairs needed to the heating while it continued to be used by a variety of user groups throughout the period, it was deemed to be too cold for the nursery to attend.

Whilst these repairs have been completed, the local authority has now confirmed that they will not reopen the setting as an Early Learning and Childcare setting.

Councillor Jenny Nicol, representing Potterton in the Mid Formartine ward, has been impacted by these closures personally, as one of the families utilising the nursery setting for her own child.

Commenting, Cllr Nicol said: “Potterton Nursery is an exceptional setting, delivering high standards of learning and care. Families had been offered the opportunity to send their children to Balmedie Nursery earlier in the school year. For these families, we have consistently chosen to have our children at Potterton. because we knew the high levels of care provision and that our children were safe, happy, nurtured and being enabled to develop their capabilities through play based learning and access to the outdoors everyday.

“The families who use these facilities are understandably very upset that a decision has been taken to rip out an essential service from this community and that this decision was taken without any consultation or community engagement is deplorable.”

MSP for Aberdeenshire East, Gillian Martin, added: “It is hugely disappointing the council have taken the decision to permanently close Potterton Nursery.

“Parents and caregivers have been left in limbo since the facility closed last month unexpectedly and have now been given the surprising news it will close permanently.

“Access to childcare provision locally is a huge asset especially in more rural areas and this decision will have a devastating impact as well as being unsettling for the children who previously attended Potterton Nursery.

“I am also dismayed there has been no consultation process on this matter leaving parents and caregivers completely shut out of any discussion, and I will be writing to Aberdeenshire Council to encourage them to undertake this process.”

In its statement to parents, Aberdeenshire Council said: "From a careful and full review of the suitability of Potterton, Potterton has been assessed as no longer suitable for delivery of Early Learning and Childcare. Potterton has been a satellite setting for Balmedie ELC for several years now. In that time, the Care Inspectorate standards have changed significantly, as has the mandatory quality criteria that has been communicated jointly by the Scottish Government and the Care Inspectorate.

"In relation to the National Standards, the quality criteria 3 – Physical Environment points listed. Potterton does not allow for the Council to meet

these obligations. Potterton is under the same Care Inspectorate registration as Balmedie ELC. This means that when Balmedie ELC is inspected, then so would Potterton. We are aware, that as Potterton doesn’t meet the Care Inspectorate requirements, then Balmedie would therefore not meet the standard that is required, and the Council would be made to move the children from Potterton to another early learning and childcare setting. "There are a range of other quality concerns at Potterton and given the structure of the building, the outdoors and the extent of the changes required, it isn’t possible to support this.

"The outcome is that Potterton will no longer be used to deliver Early Learning and Childcare."

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