Sherwood said:
“But that will depend on one person withdrawing his objection!”

That is silly – it’s not ONE person objecting. It’s hundreds. Surely it depends on the nursery owners agreeing to drop the numbers in the nursery?

I don’t actually know any of the neighbours, but I’ve talked to very large number of people now, both on the hill and off it – and of course, people I know elsewhere saw the Evening Standard article and asked me about it.
I haven’t yet met a single person who would be happy to live next to a nursery of up to 24 children with the required number of staff. But most people eventually agree that a smaller nursery would be just about acceptable – or at least, that they wouldn’t take court action about it.

Personally, I wouldn’t mind living next to a small nursery because I like having children around. If you don’t have children or your own children have moved on it’s nice to see others’.

I can understand that a nursery needs a certain number in order to be viable – a friend explained to me that nurseries need to be in a chain so that they can move staff around when numbers vary, or for sickness etc.

Piplings have another large nursery near Peckham Rye. Why insist on 24 children up here, in the face of all the opposition? They already have the start of a chain, so the business is viable, even if the Liphook link in the chain needs to be smaller, because of its location in a residential area.

It seems like madness to be lining the pockets of lawyers and causing all this trouble with the poor TLERA committee, (who really do NOT deserve any criticism at all.) All because Piplings insist on a large nursery - when so many people object to it.

Michael explained in an earlier post that the nursery had gradually increased the numbers while they were seeking planning permission. Why can’t they now gradually decrease the numbers – as parents gradually find other places, or through natural wastage? Then no parent or child suffers.

Piplings won't have got exactly what they want, and possibly not the neighbours, but that’s life. And a great many people up here would be very happy to see the matter settled.

And finally, I would like to say that I felt very bad overnight about having used the word “selfish” on the forum yesterday. I got carried away – and that is the problem with internet forums, I suppose, but not an excuse.