By Kerry Ashdown
Five residents objected to the proposals to expand Little Ripley Day Nursery in Streetly, raising concerns including noise impact from air conditioning units, increased traffic and parking pressure and undermining neighbours’ enjoyment of their private outdoor space.
But the application, which will enable the Burnett Road nursery to increase capacity to 77 children, was recommended for approval by Lichfield District Council’s planning officers. And members of the planning committee voted on Monday (June 30) to approve the plans for a first floor extension, alterations to parking layout and installation of an acoustic fence, solar panels and air conditioning units.
A report to the committee said the application had been revised from a previous proposal. which was refused permission on the grounds of potential noise impact. The report added: “This application proposes to retain the existing planning restriction limiting the number of children in the garden to 30 at any one time, despite the proposed increase in total nursery capacity.
“The Environmental Health Officer has raised no objections on the grounds of the submissions or increased numbers of children. Subject to conditions, it is considered that the development would not result in an unacceptable impact on residential amenity in terms of noise, privacy, or general disturbance.”
But objector William Daly, who spoke on behalf of Burnett Road and Leslie Road residents at Monday’s meeting, said: “Burnett Road is a sought-after residential area and is included in the Little Aston Neighbourhood Plan. Following this committee’s decision to grant planning permission for a 50-place nursery, our lives have been changed somewhat.
“We are woken at 6.30 in the morning when staff arrive in cars, and at 7am parents arrive, always in cars. Children and a proportion of babies are sometimes not happy to be separated from their parents, and cries and grizzles are not uncommon.
“The demographic for Little Aston does not require an increase in pre-school places. The demand for these places is coming from Birmingham and Walsall, with parents travelling relatively long distances which isn’t good environmentally.
“Now we see an application to increase to 77 children and an increase in staffing, with a former front garden completely Tarmaced over more in keeping with a Kwik Fit garage or a McDonalds car park. It is completely at odds with the Little Aston Neighbourhood Plan.
“The proposal to create a series of eight units externally is totally unacceptable. Have members of the committee heard the noise one of these units make – who wants to sit in a garden with friends and have a constant background noise of eight industrial heat pumps?”
Ruth Appleby, director of Little Ripley Day Nurseries, said the Burnett Road site was originally opened in 1929 and advertised as a private school, providing education for girls and boys. “This building has had the sound of tiny feet and children from then until now”, she added.
“The garden is screened by mature trees and the railway line at the back, which is very fenced off. We do not wish to increase the number of children that we’re going to have outside at any one time.
“When we rebuilt our nursery we replicated the look of the original building – we have no wish to change or extend the footprint of this building. We would like to extend into the roof space, creating two new rooms and a comfortable staff room.
“We would like to relocate the air conditioning units to ground floor level and they will be surrounded by acoustic fencing. Environmental Health officers have confirmed the units are very quiet – they’re not industrial, they’re just small units and will not operate at weekends or after 6pm.
“We see ourselves at Burnett Road as a community nursery and we have no wish to upset the community of Streetly Village. Drop-offs and collections are very staggered, unlike schools.
“The majority of our children live locally in B74 – what if they come from Kingstanding? They’re all God’s children.”