FORMER councillor Jan Young asks whether parents were offered the opportunity to run the Bright Start nursery (Letters, July 28), as suggested by the previous Conservative administration.

They were, but unsurprisingly the response wasn’t particularly enthusiastic.

Parents send their children to nursery so they have time to, among other things, work.

Having to run the nursery themselves would somewhat defeat the point and take away from having any time to spend with their children.

Bright Start nursery is an excellent council-run nursery with highly trained staff.

It benefits from being in a central area and we are recruiting more parents to use the service.

Officers have a sound business plan that also builds on finances from funded places for disadvantaged children.

This was announced in a press release and reported in The Argus, not just “tucked away” at the back of a report as Jan Young suggests.

We are committed to keeping Bright Start open and in public ownership for the benefit of the community and all parents who need high-quality childcare.

Councillor Jason Kitcat, Green cabinet member for finance and central services, Brighton and Hove City Council