Pippa confirms countryside creche will open soon,
Pippa Middleton has stormed ahead with plans to open a nursery at her Bucklebury Farm despite backlash.
The sister of the Princess of Wales, 42, and her husband James Matthews came under fire after revealing their plans as highway bosses claimed that the countryside creche would result in too much traffic in the surrounding area.
The couple remained silent on the matter and received the green light in August, after the council claimed the nursery would deliver ‘strong social benefits’.
Today, Bucklebury Farm confirmed the nursery will be opening soon via Instagram, writing: ‘Something special is coming to Bucklebury Farm. We are so pleased to share that a brand-new day nursery will be opening soon.
‘Welcoming children from six months to five years, our nursery will offer a strictly limited number of places, so that every child is truly known, supported, and cared for.
‘Set within the heart of the countryside, children will spend their days exploring the natural world around them.
‘With the unique opportunity to enjoy daily access to the farm park, learning comes to life through hands-on experiences with animals and the great outdoors.’
Pippa’s upcoming opening is aligned with Kate’s Early Childhood work, a project described as her ‘life’s work’ that seeks to positively impact children in their formative years.
Bucklebury Farm, owned by the Princess of Wales’s sister and her husband, James Matthews, (pictured together in 2019),confirmed the opening of its nursery
The royal mother-of-three, 44, is striving to support the youngest people in society through The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood, which works towards a more nurturing society through research and campaigning.
Her younger sister has now also revealed an interest in the area by growing Buckleberry Farm into a place where young people can seek education.
Pippa and James snapped up 72 sprawling acres of land in leafy Berkshire for just £1.5million in 2020 – in a village where a detached house with a garden already costs close to that price.
The rolling fields, which had a ‘wedding tractor’ to celebrate the Prince and Princess of Wales’s marriage in 2010, are home to a 44-acre deer park, café, glamping pods, and a children’s play area.
Bucklebury Farm’s petting zoo was also said to be a favourite of young Prince George when he visited his grandparents.
However, Pippa and James came under fire from highway bosses after revealing their plans to build a countryside creche.
In March last year, roads chiefs said the rural nursery would result in too many cars. One local councillor was so concerned that he called the decision in, meaning it was debated by the planning committee.
The site has been open to the public since 1992 and is located on the edge of the village of Bucklebury, Berks, around four km north east of Thatcham.
The countryside creche will welcome a limited number of children aged six months to five years (pictured: A play area at Bucklebury Farm)
Mr Matthews, whose brother is reality star Spencer Matthews, explained that he wanted to open the facility for pre-schoolers at their rural Bucklebury Farm in Berkshire.
But the local council’s road experts voiced ‘significant concerns’, expressing worries about the extra number of cars the creche will spark – and recommended the plans be refused.
Cllr Christopher Read, the ward member for Bucklebury, similarly concerned, applied to have the decision debated by the planning committee.
The Matthews have carried out a series of improvements to Bucklebury Farm since they bought it four years ago, continuing its 40-year success.
It has a deer park, a soft play area, animal petting, office space and a cafe. There are also rustic glamping tents where families can stay with just the heat from a log burner and no electricity or Wi-Fi.
They hope the latest plans for a day nursery will give local parents more choice, with no similar facilities for five miles.
Caroline Downie, writing to West Berkshire planners on behalf of agents Lasseter Downie Planning, tried to calm fears.
She explained that there would be a maximum of 24 children on site and it would take three years to reach capacity.
There would be one manager, two qualified teachers and a couple of apprentices.
‘The local nurseries are at capacity or near capacity,’ she added.
‘This offering, as discussed above, will not be large but will offer children a unique experience with access to the farm park facilities and the learning that this will provide.
‘The applicant has been researching demand through social media and has established that there are already 17 to 20 parents that are interested should this facility become available to them.’
She estimated 48 extra vehicle movements per day – 240 a week or 12,480 per annum – and less if some children were siblings.
The farm had 45,000 visitors last year, estimated at 30,000 vehicle movements.
Ten staff add an extra 7,280 a year, meaning adding the nursery would still keep cars below the 70,000 allowed by the local council.
