Private Groups

[Guest]

Hi can people let me know if in their areas it is different to us. Alot of the groups in our area are private, and alot have been trying to find new premises. I found last year a beautiful house that was big enough had a fantastic huge garden, we tried to get planning permission before we bought it, so the sale was subject to planning permission. I had a friendly councillor backing us, but another councillor decided it was a good campiaign just before the elections so he decided to back the residence in a campaign against us. Consequentially we lost it at the planning committee, with my "friendly" councillor going against us. we have tried to look for another house but everthing is either too close to other houses or not big enough.

 

They refused us on not enough parking and noise pollution!!!! also our nappies would have been overflowing down the street!! We have now had our parents do a petition to the council asking for help on finding us new premises. We are in a church hall that is big cold and needs so much in it, it takes us an hour to set up. also the residence of the parish are not the friendliest. We have just had a fantastic article put in the local newspaper - large picture and big article explaing why we have done the petition. and the explanation come back from the council was that because we are private they won't help us!!!! I have even been to the local MP. It is all so political. why does no one think about the children anymore except us lot on the forum. i just wondered if other private groups round the country have the same problems. It gets very tiring banging your head against a brick wall all the time. I have 70+ children over a week I do wonder if I should go on strike and see what would happen. Any suggestion would help! Thanks from a bounced out Manager ( Whose been on a bouncy castle all morning)

[Steve]

Hi Steph -

Sounds very frustrating!

 

I'm sure the strike suggestion was just a joke, but I reckon that would be a bad thing to do. It sounds like the parents are on your side and they would be the only ones affected by a strike!

 

I think the petition is a good thing. What response did you get from your MP?

 

It's probably worth pointing out to any councillors you come in contact with that the government are committed to promoting the development of a flexible mix of early years settings, including the private sector.

 

Have you spoken to your EYDCP/LEA - unless there is an oversupply of settings in their area, they are tasked with increasing the provision to government targets, so they may well be able to support you in various ways?

 

Good luck with it - let us know how it goes!

[Guest]

I went through this a few years ago, and to be honest lost the energy to persevere with my plans to provide childcare from a residentialy sited building. It has left me in my inadequate scout hall with the same set up problems as you.

I agree with Steve's sound advice, also I do recall being advised to use a chartered surveyer or architect ( can't remeber which) when going for planning permission. It may cost extra but they are very knowleadgable about the rules which govern planning permission criteria ( sometimes even more knowleagable than the people on the planning committee!!), they are also aware of other planning which has been agreed in your area and if it is similar to yours they could argue on your behalf. A bit like a lawyer siting another case of law. Why not make enquires if local surveyers or architect can offer you this advice / service.

 

The other option I am still trying to make happen is to move into my local Primary School, unfortunately the current head has his head in the proverbial clouds and is only interested in SAT results at the upper end of primary and not really interested in the early years

If this is an option you might consider then your local EYDCP should be able to put you in contact with a School Planning/development Officer who could advice you.

 

Good luck, I do empathise.

 

Peggy

[hali]

we are the same....in a church hall with a church committee that are completly uncharitable, we wanted new premises got the local council and papers involved...two years down the line still here moaning and groaning, i do feel for you!!!

[Rea]

Peggy, be careful if you get premises on the school site. I know of three schools through other people who have swallowed the playgroup and opened a nursery leaving the original staff unemployed in one of the cases. My old playgroup use a class in the school once a week, the head says he has no plans for a nursery, but he told me 18 months ago when the idea was first broached, that if I was to have the use of one of his classrooms he would like the children to wear a T-shirt with the school logo not the playgroup one.

I hope your head, when he finally realises the sun does not shine out of SATS, is more open and honest, although an ex teacher did say to me at the time that a head hasnt got to be a head by considering other people

[Rea]

Steph, sorry I hijacked your post and didnt contribute anything to yor query

I briefly looked at having my own premises a couple of years ago, I was adviced to contact the Childcare Information Bureau who would be able to tell me for a fee about provision in any area, prices charged and what need there was. It might give you a starting point

[Running Bunny]

Hi,

 

To contribute to this from a development officer perspective...

 

We will do everything we can to support new providers or providers wishing to change venue, taking into account things that have already been mentioned (demand being the main one as we are really concerned about the long term sustainability of private providers in our area)

 

I am in the process of supporting a provider who has identified an area with a gap in the market, has carried out market research, has found a detatched house next to the park and has sound business plans in place and has even contacted planning for a pre-application check.

 

The planning officer has stated that she will refuse planning as the neighbours will be affected by noise (there is a row of high trees AND a driveway between the houses) There is parking for about 8 cars plus a turning circle for drop off, a massive garden and garage space that can be converted too, so it is perfect...

 

We are working with her to inform the neighbours of the plans up front so they won't be shocked when they receive the notice of planning through the door, put plans in place to risk assess using the park as the outdoor space for Ofsted purposes and liase with planning to let them know about the 'type' of play that is going on (i.e. the children will be supervised and not running around screaming the place down!)

 

I would suggest speaking to your EYDCP to see if they have come across these kinds of objections before (they are the most common, so don't feel too despondent about that side of things) and see what support they can offer.

 

[Steve]

Thanks for that Running Bunny, that's really useful - now all we need to do is establish that you're in Steph's LEA!

[Running Bunny]

I wish I could help!

 

Unfortunately, I am in West Yorkshire and looking at Steph's profile, she is in Dorset so I don't think that it will work!

 

Also, every LA/EYDCP works in different ways, so even what is considered the 'norm' for us would not be in a different area (was there talk about a level playing field for early years?!)

[Guest]

Hi every one

thanks for the replies. Just fill you all in a bit more. I have been the private Rep on our local EYDCP for the last 2 years. it has just disolved and will soon be going over to the new SureStart forum, with exactly the same people on it as before. I have built up a good relationship with our development officer but they have their hands tied because they say that they cannot be seen to show favoritism, which would be a joke if they looked into how many groups would like to move out of their church premises. I have 'cultivated' 2 out of the 3 local councillors, who all "support" us. I have even asked our local MP and she "supports" us, but I cannot define yet what "support" us means because as yet its only saying words but not actually doing anything constructive. I was told by one of the Officers in the local council that I needed to get the Liberals to bait the Conservatives into more action. We are a very Conservative council and I don't think alot of them agree with the Labour governments ideas on child care. I have been told by a few of the council officers that it all comes down to the politics. This is what I find most frustrating as I don't think looking after a child should be a political debate. (I know thats me being very Naive I'm registered for 52 children and have 70+ on my books at the moment. The LEA keep telling me that I can't shut down, cos I have threatened a couple of times It just seems as though nobody wants to physically help us they just offer "support" :wacko: Still that my moan for today. I have just finished a lovely morning with about a 100 parents and families who came to see their little darlings perform the Elves and the Shoemaker, which they did beautifully. After so many parents telling us that we were doing a fantastic job and coming home with bags of goodies for the holidays and can now start planning my Christmas with my family. The one thing that I now have to contemplate over the holidays is whether I should drop the brown hair colour and go over to a blue rinse as the newspaper article kindly told the whole of my town that I am 50 years young. maybe if I go blue some of the councillors might start taking me seriously. Again thanks to everyone for the support, I have recommended the sight to so many people as I think it is FABULOUS to talk to people all over the country who have the same thoughts on life. Running bunny I wish you were down in this part of the country we could do with a few more like you , and Steve I was just joking about striking I don't know where some of my kids at pre-school would end up if we did and its not with other groups it would be farmed out to who ever would take them. All the groups in our area are a really good crowd, as I'm sure Janice would testify to. thanks again to every one

[Guest]

P.s sorry that was so long its the little box that you write in does look very big when your writing.

[Guest]

What a lovely positive post Steph,

just another thought..BUT HOLD IT UNTIL AFTER THE BREAK...Do you know any of your local parish group members, or womans guild, or church, in my area, which is also majority Conservative, it is these people who seem to have the most influence on what happens or not, and speak the most loudest ( must sort my grammer out )

 

Peggy

[Guest]

There are a lot of us in the same position, and I suppose that's quite comforting in a way!

 

Oh if only there was a solution .......... but that's the problem.......... we'd all want these permanent premises wouldn't we!!!!!???????

 

Just imagine the bliss of not having to set up and put away every day, and the displays ..........!!!!!!!!!!! And the wage bill would fall dramatically!

 

Sorry not much help at all - actually NO help at all, but just thought I'd add my support to Steph, and to everyone else who's in the same boat. Mind you perhaps we should console ourselves with the fact that maybe if we had permanent premises, then we might have different problems to contend with!

 

Bye for now