Big name nursery chain unveils plans for 110 childcare places in Surrey
One of the UK’s biggest nursery chains is eyeing up an empty office site in Surrey for a new multimillion pound project.
Busy Bees wants to open a two-storey day nursery on Chesterfield Road, Ashford, replacing the tired office with a care service for local families.
Developers Glanmire Holdings has lodged the application with Spelthorne Borough Council. If approved, the new centre would offer 110 childcare places for babies and children aged 0–5, supported by around 25 staff.
Busy Bees said it is so committed to the project that it plans to sign a 25-year lease, calling the Ashford site a “golden opportunity” to build one of the region’s premier nursery settings.
Under the plans, the existing building would be demolished and replaced with a purpose-built nursery featuring:
- A two-storey design, with younger children aged 0–3 on the ground floor and older children aged 3–5 upstairs
- Dedicated changing and toilet areas, one loo per 10 children
- A full kitchen, laundry and staff room upstairs
- Three separate garden areas linked to age-specific rooms
- A buggy store, cycle parking and car parking on site
The building would use materials designed to blend in with neighbouring homes on Chesterfield Road, including red-brown brickwork, white render, half-timber gables and dark grey roof tiles.
Compared with the current office unit, the new footprint would actually be smaller, opening up the site and creating what the architects say will be a more ‘residential-friendly’ setting.
The site, just 0.4 miles from Ashford train station and close to regular bus routes, has long been seen by planners as ripe for redevelopment. Although it currently appears in the council’s land availability assessment as a potential residential site, the developers argue a nursery fits perfectly with local and national planning policy, which prioritises new early-years provision.
Busy Bees says demand for childcare in the Ashford and wider Spelthorne area is strong and that the nearest existing facility only takes children from age 2.5 upwards, leaving a gap for under-twos.
The nursery would run 7am to 7pm, Monday to Friday, 52 weeks a year (excluding bank holidays and Christmas Day). But operators say there’s no single ‘rush hour’ for pick-up and drop-off, as arrival times are spread across the day to match parents’ schedules.
They also expect many families to arrive on foot or as part of an existing commute, given the site’s central location.
The application will now be assessed by Spelthorne’s planning team, with a decision likely due next year. Residents are welcome to comment on the application until December 2.