Summercroft Primary School set to use former Buttercups Children’s Centre to ramp up support for parents

A Bishop’s Stortford primary wants to ramp up before- and after-school provision to help working parents.

Summercroft has asked planning authority East Herts Council (EHC) for change-of-use permission so it can incorporate the former Buttercups Children’s Centre into its premises at Plaw Hatch Close.

The application says the switch will facilitate “before and after-school provision that enables parents and carers to access childcare outside of standard school hours to afford parents the flexibility they need to sustain employment”.

During the school day, the space will be used as an office for the school’s pastoral lead, special educational needs co-ordinator and support assistant.

It will also be used for staff meetings and training, and will be available during the school holidays and out-of-school hours to provide additional childcare support.

The school’s business manager, Joanne Andrews, told East Herts the change would have no adverse effects: “There will be no impact. No increase in people using our current site, just a relocation of staff and children within the grounds to use the Buttercups building.

“Traffic and cars will be reduced as Buttercups, the family centre, was run by One YMCA, which had regular visitors throughout the day and staff, and this will no longer be the case. There will be no difference in noise to its current use.”

Buttercups was one of four children’s centres for the Stort Valley area offering family support.