Following petitioning from parents and Medway Labour, All Saints Nursery on Magpie Hall Road will now remain open after the Christmas break.

Medway Council announced that the Chatham nursery would close in December on the 7th November, as parents receiving a letter informing them of the closure, leaving them just weeks to find a replacement.

An online petition to keep the nursery open, however, received over 400 signatures.

Cllr Andrew Mackness, Portfolio Holder for Children’s Services said:

“I am very pleased to share the news that we have secured an arrangement that shall enable childcare provision at All Saints nursery to continue from January.”

“This means that there will be no break in service, and all children who currently attend shall be able to continue to do so following the Christmas break. I apologise to all families for any anxiety caused over the past few days, and am sure that the news that we shall be able to continue to offer care will be warmly received by all.”

Medway Labour Councillors Vince Maple and Adam Price met with worried parents at the nursery on Friday November 10, having found out about the closure through parents.

Cllr Maple said:

“I pay tribute to the dedication of parents, who have shown how much All Saints means to the community. I hope that we can continue in securing the long-term future of the nursery.”

Parents will still be formally submitting their petition to Medway Council tomorrow, after the future of the nursery was secured only until the end of the academic year in July.