A ST Clement nursery was left with “far from ideal” outdoor toilet facilities after a builder abandoned work midway through a project, according to a planning application.
Happy Hatchlings Nursery, located at St Nicholas Church, is now seeking permission to construct two single-storey extensions to provide “new classroom space and adequate toilet facilities”.
The planning application, submitted by business owner Emma Soley and prepared by JSL Architecture, said that children and staff currently rely on external toilets accessed via an “old canopy which has several leaks”.
This outside route also provides the only access to “a safe place for distressed children sometimes with special needs”, making the current set-up “not fit for purpose and not sustainable for the nursery”.
The situation deteriorated when a building contractor left renovation works unfinished.
The planning statement said: “The applicant had been poorly advised by a builder who claimed that the works to provide an internal access to the existing toilets and replace the roof to the kitchen did not need planning or building consent, then left the site with the works unfinished.”
This has left the nursery dependent on “temporary toilet facilities again located externally, which is far from an ideal situation, particularly going into the winter months”.
The proposed development includes two extensions. The first will “provide fit-for-purpose toilet facilities for the nursery and regulate retrospective works commenced on site”.
The second will create a multi-functional classroom space to the north-east of the building, featuring a disabled-access shower and toilet, a storage area, and a decked outdoor area connecting to the existing garden.
The planning statement said: “Happy Hatchlings is not only providing much-needed childcare but is an asset to the local community with its commitment to providing children with additional needs essential care as well as support to their families.”
An ecological survey conducted by Amy Hall, of Sangan Island Conservation, found the development would have minimal impact on protected species.
While the site borders a Ramsar-listed wetland and the Coastal Protected Area, it sits outside any Sites of Special Interest or Environmentally Sensitive Areas.
