The Planning Committee yesterday approved an application, lodged by Guardian Nursing Services Ltd, to open the nursery on the site of a former gym and spa at Chateau Vermont on Mont Sohier.
Plans were lodged in November and the application received 27 comments.
According to the plans, children attending the centre would take part in ‘forest school’ activities in the adjacent woodland and gardens.
It adds that they expect a drop in car usage around the site, particularly as the nursery will only operate five days a week compared to the seven-day operation of the former gym.
Several residents lodged comments with the application, raising concerns over traffic levels and noise from the children.
One resident said: ‘The traffic currently is at sometimes high levels with people taking short cuts to bypass the busy main roads in the area with sometimes hilarious consequences with people trying to reverse backwards in order to pass each other.
‘Adding to this volume can only be detrimental.’
In coming to a decision on the application, Constable Deirdre Mezbourian and Deputy Kirsten Morel said they would be unable to give their blessing to the application until environmental and traffic impact assessments were carried out.
But voting to approve the application yesterday, Deputy Rowland Huelin said he could not give the applicants enough support.
‘I do not get all the noise and do not know why people are making a fuss. There is traffic on the Island, get over it – there are 120,000 cars. That is a matter for government policy, not for the applicant.’
Meanwhile, Constable Philip Le Sueur voted to approve the application and said there was ‘nothing nicer than to listen to children at play’.
Deputies Scott Wickenden and Lindsay Ash also voted in favour of the plans.
