To clarify (I hope) the point on planning permission.

Piplings did apply for all the necessary permissions, well in advance of opening, and took advice from the planners on the length of time it would get to have permission, before arranging an opening date that should have meant that permission was given. This was based upon advice from the duty planner, and also based upon Emma's assessment of local opinion following her discussions with local neighbours PRIOR to applying for planning permission. This is standard practice for many businesses I believe.

Crucially during the discussions that were had with neighbours, no objections were raised.

However during the planning process, objections were received from a certain number of objectors (the exact numbers range depending on whether people quote properties, or multiple residents within properties). This caused the planning process to take longer than anticipated, but is not something that, having taken advisement at the beginning, Piplings could perhaps realistically have expected.

Also, they did nothing wrong in opening without the permission, as it had been applied for. And was subsequently granted following careful consideration by the planners.

As a parent, I wasn't involved at the beginning, but I can imagine that if I had been looking for a nursery place at this time I would have been fully armed with all facts, and would have made a decision on the risks of the nursery not getting planning permission, against the huge benefits of my child having the extraordinarily high quality care that Piplings provides.

Finally, at the planning application time, there were nowhere near 78 people involved. A nursery takes time to set up, and any impact of not getting planning permission two years ago would have had a much smaller effect than this current action that is being taken against a going concern, with children established and flourishing, which is based on an outdated legal technicality that was never intended to be used in this way.

Having just read opinion's post - Had I been looking at Piplings at its opening, bearing in mind there would have been no Ofsted to guide me at that time, I would have been using all other resource available to gauge local opinion on the nursery. That would have included looking at SE23.com, which would have meant I was fully aware of the planning situation before I made my decision to place my child there. I'm sure that it would have been a conversation that was had with the owners before signing my contract.

This post was last modified: 08-02-2012 01:43 PM by ladywotlunches.