PLANS to expand a pre-school nursery in Warminster have been opposed by town councillors who say the children create too much noise and traffic.

Warminster Town Councillors voted at a planning advisory committee meeting on Monday (19th August) to oppose the expansion of the Barney Lodge Day Nursery in Westbury Road.

Barney Lodge principal Lynn Ashton has applied to change use of part of the building from residential to nursery uses and to permit the number of children allowed to attend the nursery from 45 to 70.

While accepting that there was a need for a day nursery, councillors felt that this was not a suitable location.

Speaking after the meeting, Cllr Steve Jeffries, the Chairman of the Planning Advisory Committee, said: “This is not an appropriate site for a nursery for 70 children.

“The Town Council opposed the last application for this site, and is even more strongly opposed to this expansion plan.

“One of the reasons for having planning policies is so that development occurs in the most appropriate places.

“We are only an advisory committee, but we hope that Wiltshire Council will pay attention to our views when they make a decision on this application.”

Councillors say that part of Westbury Road is a residential area and unsuitable for this type of use.

They said: “Seventy children make a lot of noise. If the noise was coming from an industrial site, planners would be much tougher.

“The number of children attending is approaching that of a school, but in a building one quarter of the size.”

They also have concerns about the volume of traffic created by having 70 children dropped off and picked up.

Other concerns relate to children being cramped inside if the weather is bad and they say there are insufficient toilet and other facilities.

Mrs Ashton said: "Barney Lodge Nursery, set in a residential area, as are the majority of childcare settings, has been operating with Wiltshire Council’s conditional approval for 70 children since May 2018. Our application met with this approval.

"The total floor space available is in excess of the requirements laid down by Ofsted for 70 children.

"The number of children and staff toilets at Barney Lodge has been considered, and meets with Ofsted guidelines and Wiltshire Council approval.

"The parking spaces available, including clearly marked off-road and roadside drop off spaces, also meets with Wiltshire Council’s approval.

"Barney Lodge also operates a Green Travel Plan to manage the traffic created by having 70 children dropped off and picked up.

"Wiltshire Councillors have visited the Nursery and neighbouring properties and found that the noise levels are managed in an appropriate manner by the staff and meet with their approval.We hope that we have clarified any misunderstandings that may have arisen from the Warminster Town Councillors meeting and hope to continue providing the much needed extra Nursery spaces to which they refer."

The Barney Lodge Day Nursery is set within a detached country house with extensive grounds on the outskirts of Warminster.

It is open for 51 weeks a year from 7.30am until 6pm, Monday to Friday, with full or part time provision available from birth to five years.