PARENTS are furious over the closure of their children’s nursery following a hard-fought campaign to keep it open.

They launched a petition to save the nursery class at Queen’s Park Primary School in Park Street, Brighton, before the city council decided to close it.

The decision was made during the children, young people and skills committee, on June 19 and will take effect from September 1.

Zoe Milton, 37, a sound engineer, of Ryde Road in Brighton, said: “As my daughter was at the nursery, I am really disappointed and upset at the council’s decision and that it has come to this.

“They could have delayed it and given us at least six months to try and fix the problems the nursery was having.

“At every opportunity they ignored or refused our offers to help.

“They had Save Our Schools banners up so quickly but didn’t do the same for the nursery, which is worrying.

“It is just so sad to see this happen and I don’t think parents have been included in the process as much as they should have been.”

The consultation process included public meetings, as well as the opportunity to respond in writing via email and using the council’s consultation portal.

Comments made during the consultation included claims the school had not done anything to increase numbers on roll at the nursery, the school had not accepted offers from parents to help with marketing, fundraising and promotion and that the new entitlement to 30 hours free childcare meant there may be a lack of places for children elsewhere in the city.

Amy Gradidge, 29, a full-time parent, of Carlton Hill in Brighton, said: “I am not very happy about the closure at all considering how much effort we parents have put into opposing the plan.

“My daughter started there last September and I was told literally two days after she started that the nursery may be closing down.

“And that was someone else telling me, not even the school.

“The education the children received at the nursery was great.

“My daughter really loved it there so I think it will be hard for her to move and form the same types of relationships she had there.”

The council highlighted that there were not enough children using the nursery class to keep it open and said that ultimately this was the main reason for the closure.