Nursery plan for closed Wyre rural school

The former Out Rawcliffe Primary School will become a nursery in the Safehands group which is owned by Wrea Green businessman Simon Rigby.

It was closed in July 2013 with just four pupils on its roll despite a campaign by parents in the rural area to keep it going. It was bought by local entrepreneur Edgar Wallace who has now teamed up with Simon Rigby to convert the old Crooke Gate Lane school into a state of the art nursery.

Edgar Wallace, owner of Preston Plastics, acquired the property earlier in the year with the intention of opening it as a nursery.

Edgar said that that there was a huge need for quality childcare in the area.

Simon Rigby, owner of the Safehands nursery chain, said he was happy to help.

He said: “We have been looking for a location Over Wyre for some time, and this opportunity was too good to miss.

“It’s a perfect location and well known by the local community.”

Paul Manning, managing director of Safehands, said: “We are delighted we have finally found somewhere in Over Wyre.

“The nursery has lots of potential with an enviable outdoor space, including its own wood with it’s own resident owl. The children are going to love it.”

The fit out will be completed over the next couple of weeks and the nursery will be opening it’s doors to enquiries in August and taking children in from the start of the autumn term in September.

The school, which could cater for 70 pupils, opened in 1847 and was run by the Blackburn Anglican Diocese until falling pupil numbers led to a consultation on its future in 2012.

Parents opposed the closure saying that many more houses were due to be built in the area in years to come.