A POPULAR nursery threatened by closure under new council plans says it would be ‘madness’ to force them to leave the site.

Penrhyn Pre School has provided nursery care to children in Priory Court, Walthamstow, on the same site since 1997.

Waltham Forest council is exploring whether to move a number of services in the area to a community hub, which it claims would provide better accessibility and improved facilities.

The centre, which has more than 60 children on its books and a two-year waiting list, say they have been told their building would be closed by 2019 if plans go ahead.

The nursery, a registered charity, is responsible for maintaining its council-owned property and carried out extensive renovation work costing thousands of pounds last year.

If the move to a new centre is confirmed, its contract with the council would be put out to tender, with others allowed to bid to take on childcare services.

Penrhyn’s assistant coordinator, Diane Leagas, said: “The council told us they will know whether it is happening in March next year and they ill not discuss anything before then.

“The parents are outraged, they come in this building and they love it, it is why they wanted their children to come here, we have great facilities and a lovely garden.

“It seems like madness to knock it down, it will be of no benefit whatsoever, it is a purpose-built space for a nursery.

“Everyone here is a bit down-hearted at the moment, we have been doing this a long time and now we have this uncertainty.”

Plans for a community hub in Priory Court have been met with resistance from residents in the area.

The proposals would include the closure and demolition of nearby Higham Hill library, which is being resisted by a community campaign and a petition signed by more than 800 people.

A council spokesperson said: “We are currently looking at a number of options. to improve community facilities in the Priory Court area for residents, but We are at an incredibly early stage in the process.

“No decisions will be made until public consultations have taken place, and realistically any physical changes would take a few years to develop.”