THOUSANDS of new childcare places for young children are to be created under a £50 million scheme, ministers have announced.

West Somerset is among the areas set to benefit from the announcement as it is an opportunity area, however so far in West Somerset no nurseries have been named.

Somerset County Council worked in partnership with six nurseries and pre-schools in Somerset to bid for a combined £1.5million from the Department for Education as part of the Government’s 30 hours free childcare offer. 

Somerset County Council is also supporting the projects with nearly £350,000 of capital funds.

The move will help to deliver a Government pledge to offer three and four-year-olds in England 30 hours of free care a week, according to the Department for Education (DfE).

It said that almost 200 nurseries and pre-schools in Somerset will benefit from the funding pot, allowing them to invest in new buildings, upgrade old ones and improve facilities.

Over £2 million of the public money is also to be invested in the Government's six "opportunity areas" - places considered to be falling behind on social mobility, including West Somerset. 

One of the nurseries that will receive funding is The Paddocks Nursery and Pre-School in Wiveliscombe.

The nursery, based in Wiveliscombe Children’s Centre, will spend £247,703 converting space that will provide 40 new 30 hour places for the community.

Steve Duncan, headteacher of Wiveliscombe Primary School, which runs The Paddocks, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to hear that we have been successful in our funding application.

"This will enable us to considerably re-structure the layout of the building to increase the capacity of the nursery and pre-school we have here."

Other successful projects in Taunton Deane include:

  • Rockwell Green Primary School, Wellington: A modular building will allow the pre-school to move from the existing classroom to the new building on site. This will also create a new seventh classroom for the school.  The extended nursery will provide 20 new 30 hour places for the community and will cost a total of £226,143
  • New nursery at Wyevale Garden Centre, Norton Fitzwarren: The refurbishment and remodelling of an existing wooden building at Wyevale garden centre will give it a new lease of life as a nursery. This will provide 40 new 30 hour places for the community and will cost a total of £374,699. This project is led by local charity ‘Go Commando’.

Sue Denis, Trustee of ‘Go Commando’, said: “We’re delighted to have been successful in obtaining Early Years Capital Investment funding to develop the new nursery at Pen Elm.

“We look forward to working in partnership with Somerset County Council to develop a second and much needed thriving, excellent day nursery which will be open to the children of marines as well as children from the wider community.

“The Trustees of Go Commando are committed to supporting the children and families of serving and retired marines and this new joint venture will enable us to continue and extend this valuable work.”

  • Chuggers Day Nursery and Pre-School, Taunton: Refurbish the first floor of the nursery which is currently vacant to create an open plan provision for additional places with an outdoor play space on the rooftop terrace.  This will provide 34 new 30 hour places for the community and will cost a total of £551,372

Education Secretary Justine Greening said: "We want Britain to be a country that works for everyone, not just the privileged few.

"That means removing the barriers facing parents who are struggling to balance their jobs with the cost of childcare, and spreading the opportunities available to hard-working families across the country.

"This funding, backed by our record £6 billion investment in childcare per year by 2020, means we can make more free places available to more families across the country, helping us to deliver our childcare offer to thousands more children."

Under the current system, all three and four-year-olds in England, as well as disadvantaged two-year-olds, are eligible for 15 free hours of childcare a week.

This is due to be doubled to 30 hours nationwide later this year.

Early years groups and experts have raised concerns about the move, warning that nurseries and other childcare providers need more money from government in order to meet the 30 free hours offer.

Labour early years spokeswoman Tulip Siddiq said: "Any additional funding is welcome but this is woefully short of what is needed to deliver the Government's underfunded childcare plans.

"The Tories still have no strategy to raise the quality of childcare or ensure the sustainability of childcare providers, who are struggling to deliver their underfunded 30 free hours promise.

"The Tory record on childcare is one of fewer Sure Start centres, rising childcare costs and parents waiting for much-needed support. They are failing hard-working families and it's our children and the economy that will pay the price."