Edinburgh Council is being questioned over the way it has handled the closure of the Calderglen Early Learning and Childcare Centre.
The nursery, which serves Sighthill, Edinburgh, was closed in February after an assessment of the building which concluded that the facility was unsafe.
A “significant” leak was discovered in the ceiling of the nursery and the “immediate and necessary” decision was made to permanently close and eventually demolish the nursery and provide alternative childcare provision for families.
Families were given extremely short notice of the facility’s closure, being informed last Friday that, effective from Monday, the centre would no longer operate.
The Calderglen facility, run by the council, serves the large Sighthill area of Edinburgh with subsidised childcare and early learning.
Since its closure, there has been a scramble to secure alternative childcare provision for parents in the area, and the council say that these placed were “quickly” identified and secured.
It is understood that efforts to secure alternative provision have been successful.
Many parents have still been left frustrated by the abrupt closure, however, with one describing the news as “absolutely shocking” to Edinburgh Live.
One member of staff at the adjacent Gate 55 Community Centre said that parents were “toiling” to secure childcare for their children.
The MP for Edinburgh South West, Dr Scott Arthur has also commented on the closure, asking for answers on why the facility was allowed to deteriorate.
In a statement online said: “I’m really saddened to hear that Calderglen EYC (Sighthill Road) is set to be demolished due to serious issues with the roof, problems so extensive and costly that the Council has decided the building can’t be saved.
“Children will now be relocated to nearby nurseries, and I understand parents have already been informed.
“My thoughts are with the families and staff who are having to deal with this sudden upheaval.
“What’s hard to understand is how the building was allowed to reach this condition, and why this decision seems to have come at such short notice.
“Our community deserves clear answers. Our children and staff deserve better planning and transparency.”
The council has deemed that the building is beyond saving will have to be demolished, with the costs involved with making repairs are being prohibitive.
The closure has also raised questions for the council Labour administration from rival parties.
The SNP and Green groups say that they have been kept in the dark regarding the closure, and that communication from officers has been extremely sparse.
Catherine Fullerton, the SNP councillor for Sighthill/Gorgie, has submitted a motion to tomorrow’s meeting of the full Edinburgh Council, complaining that elected members were only briefed on the closure after the fact.
Fullerton also described as “problematic” the fact that “staff and families were not kept appropriately informed” and said the assessment that the building would have to be demolished differs from the information provided to councillors.
In her motion, Fullerton requested that an urgent and detailed report including “a clear and comprehensive timeline from the initial identification of the leak through to the decision to close the Centre permanently” and options, including potential repairs for the facility going forward.
The Greens have also requested that the council look into “the supply and affordability of early learning and childcare places in the affected area”.
Cllr James Dalgleish, Education, Children and Families Convenor said: “The health, safety and wellbeing of children in our care, and staff who work in our settings, is of utmost importance.
“We will always take immediate and necessary action if there is a risk that this could be compromised in any way.
“Following an issue with the Calderglen nursery building in early February, our facilities management team visited the nursery to carry out further inspections and safety checks – and the recommendation was unfortunately that the nursery building should close.”
He added: “Sadly, given the overall condition of the Calderglen nursery building, and the estimated cost of repairs needed, this closure is permanent.
“We are looking at options for investment in early years provision in the area, prioritising the needs of the local community in the long-term.
“Council early years staff were in regular communication with families throughout to keep them updated on the situation.
“Alternative nursery places at neighbouring early years settings were quickly identified and parents/carers informed of new childcare arrangements for their child.
“I appreciate that this news came as a shock to families and understand the inconvenience that this will have caused.
“We will always act quickly if there is a health and safety risk in any of our settings, prioritising the welfare of children and staff first and foremost.”
One parent, whose child attended Calderglen, even started a petition to urge to council to reconsider their decision to demolish.
She also claimed that the council was also planning to also demolish the Gate 55 Community Centre, which is just next door to Calderglen.
The council have given assurances, however, that there are no plans to close Gate 55, and that the community centre will not be affected by the closure.
The motion will be heard at Thursday’s full council meeting, which begins at 10am.
