Concerns have been raised about the future of a beloved village pre-school.

Leybourne Parish Council caused outcry after announcing it was seeking a new provider of early year provision at the village hall from September, with many fearing for the fate of the current pre-school, which has been at the hall for 40 years.

A petition has now been signed by nearly 600 people to keep the pre-school open, which has 80 children on its roll, arguing the community has not been consulted.

Tom Tugendhat, MP for Tonbridge and Malling, has now stepped in, saying it would be "desperately sad" if the business could not continue at the village hall. He has pledged to do all he can to help.

Michele Saunders, 54, the pre-school manager, says she had not intended to leave in September and was only told of the council's decision the day it was announced.

The parish council released an initial statement on Tuesday last week, saying the pre-school's hire contract ends in July, as requested by the pre-school, and it now wants to hear from people interested in setting up a new early year's provision.

However, following a backlash from many, the authority clarified the reasons for its decision.

Its follow-up statement reads: "In January, each year we raise the contracts for each hirer running April to the following March.

"On January 31 2021 we received a written request from the proprietor asking for a short-term contract. The contract for April to July was prepared and signed by the proprietor.

"The owner of Leybourne Pre-School has made no request to continue to hire the village hall after July and has indicated she is looking for alternative premises.

"Leybourne Parish Council believes there is a very real prospect that early years provision the village hall could end from the close of summer term as there is no contractual arrangement in place after this date."

The statement added that the council "wants to ensure the residents of Leybourne have access to early years provision".

It finished: "No parties are excluded from applying and the proprietor of the pre-school was invited personally to register her interest to continue from September onwards."

Ms Saunders, who has been with the pre-school for 21 years and run it for 13, however, says she wanted to return in September and she requested a shorter contract so she would then be able to negotiate the rent, which she says has risen over the years and is now "extortionate" and "unrealistic".

The parish council, however, says it "has a duty to ensure costs are covered and this has resulted in increases for all hirers".

Ms Saunders, a grandmother, says the council must have known she wanted to stay in September, as her emails to them discuss the new rent for that coming year.

She said: "I definitely one day would like my own premises but I would never ever, ever leave unless I had somewhere else to go. I would never leave the parents or the children without a pre-school.

"If they say you are not allowed to come back in September then we would have to look for somewhere.

"I have just started looking for somewhere. A lot of parents have said 'we will follow you, we will go wherever with you', but we shouldn't have to, it's our community."

A meeting has been arranged for later this week between Ms Saunders and the council to discuss the situation.

In a statement Mr Tugendhat, who was contacted by Ms Saunders, said: “It would be desperately sad if Leybourne Pre-School could not continue at Leybourne Village Hall, after 40 years of dedication and support for families across the community.

“I know so many in the community, past and present, are concerned about the future and I will do all I can to help. I’ll be writing to Leybourne Parish Council, who kindly shared their statement with me, to ask some further questions and, I hope, find a resolution to this matter very soon.”

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