Changes to a former Sunday School will help parents in need of childcare as demand for places rises

The scheme will see the empty building on Warbreck Drive, previously operated as a Sunday School by Bispham United Reformed Church, redeveloped as a kindergarten for up to 45 children aged up to five years old.

Blackpool Council planners approved the application by Day Care Centres using their delegated powers.

The applicant said the proposed nursery would assist working parents who are able to access 30 hours of government funded free childcare. The scheme will also create nine full-time jobs as well as apprenticeships.

Documents submitted with the application say: "The proposed development requires no external building works and the internal space can be adapted to nursery use without significant alteration."

An outdoor play area will be created on part of the existing car park, but there will still be room for 14 car parking spaces.

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There were eight objections to the application, with concerns including the loss of a community facility, increased traffic levels, noise and increased parking in nearby streets. But planners ruled the former Sunday School would have also attracted a large amount of traffic, while community facilities continue to be provided within the church itself.

A council report setting out the decision says: "Bispham United Reformed Church have advised that the decision was made to sell the Sundayschool as it was surplus to their current requirements.

"They advise the building was barely used and required substantial maintenance, and with the current size of their congregation and service users, it was no longer feasible to operate both the main church building and the Sunday school."

The main church building is now "more than adequate to support all oftheir activities and allows them to continue serving the community effectively."

Planners also said said the change of use to a nursery would provide a service to families in the area, with the council's own Children's Services department saying there are currently limited nursery vacancies in the Bispham area.

The expansion of government early years funding entitlements for parents is also expected to increase demand for places.