Fury At Liverpool Hope Nursery Axe

Staff and parents have blasted university chiefs for bringing the axe down on a “lifeline” nursery.

Today bosses at Liverpool Hope insisted its community nursery was no longer viable as only a dozen students now make use of the facilities on its Taggart Avenue, Childwall, campus.

But dismayed staff and parents say the decision to shut the nursery next June will be felt across the city as 90% of users are from the general community.

Confirming the decision to shut the 21-year-old nursery a university spokesman said: “The nursery was originally set up to provide childcare provision for students and staff.

“A combination of the changing demographic of the student population and an increase in general childcare provision now means that out of over 7,500 students there are only 12 children of students in the nursery.”

Its 24 staff have been given formal redundancy notices. They include nursery nurse, Sandra Leaney from Childwall.

“We all want to keep this nursery open as it is not just for students, but used by the whole community. If they want the space fine, but they should help us operate somewhere else on site in portable offices if we have to. The parents are all behind us.”

Teaching student, Eve Clucas, 29, whose 14 month-old daughter attends the nursery while she is at lectures said: “I feel cheated.”

“I am only just starting my second year and had I known the nursery was going to close there is no way I would have enrolled here as this was the major selling point; it’s a lifeline.”

The university have ruled out finding another site on campus.

The spokesman added: “Continuing to keep the nursery open is not economically viable. The nursery will not close until June 2008.”