THERE are fears a popular pre-school will have to shut after it was told to vacate its current home at the end of the academic year.

For 21 years, the Link and Learn Pre-school has been based at the Link Centre but in March was told by Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL), which holds the lease to the building, it must leave.

The reason is GLL want to expand the existing gym into the space currently used by the youngsters.

Gilly Betts, the manager of Link and Learn, says when the company took over running the leisure facility in she was told about the expansion plans but was left under the impression a new home would be found elsewhere in the building.

She said: “We first met the manager last year and he told us they wanted to expand the gym. We were shown some office space upstairs and told they were looking at moving us there.

“We then didn’t hear anything until several months later when we were told a move would cost £35,000 and we would have to pay for it.

“Once again we heard nothing until we were told last month we had to be out by the end of July.

“We are not businesswomen, we run a pre-school. When they told us they were looking to move us we believed them. Maybe we were naïve but after 21 years in one place you feel safe.”

Gilly says they are now frantically looking for somewhere else to go but there is a lot of uncertainty.

“This is incredibly sad,” she said.

“Over the years hundreds of children have come through here. We have a waiting list and children due to start in September but we do not know where they will be going.

“We hope we can find somewhere else but if not then I’m afraid we will have to close.”

A spokesperson for GLL, which runs all of Swindon’s leisure facilities, said they kept the pre-school informed at all stages.

They said: “In April 2015 GLL advised the Link and Learn Playgroup that the space they hire for the scheme could be affected by planned expansion of the health & fitness facilities at Swindon’s Link Centre.

“At that time GLL agreed to look for alternative sites within the leisure centre, but advised Link and Learn that any relocation costs would have to be covered by the group.

“On 10th March 2016 GLL confirmed that the space hired by Link and Learn would be required for the planned expansion and that no other financially viable spaces would be available within the building.”

It is not the first time GLL has caused upset since taking over the town’s leisure facilities, with many angry at the recent decision to close the small pool at Health Hydro.

Councillor Jim Robbins (Lab, Mannington and Western) said: “The decision at Link is yet another example of how we as a town lose control when we give facilities over to the private sector.

“We will do what we can to help but there is not much time.”

But Coun Mary Martin (Con, Shaw), the cabinet member with oversight for leisure, says bringing in GLL has led to more investment.

She said: “GLL are a not-for-profit-company and bring in a knowledge of the leisure market we as a council do not have.

“They have taken on a cost and when you look at something like the trampoline park at Link, it is used by many people who would not otherwise use the facilities.”