Childcare centre gets go ahead
A new early learning centre aiming to connect children with nature has been given consent in a Blenheim subdivision.
The centre, which will have the capacity for 105 children and 15 full time staff, will sit on the outskirts of Rose Manor, on Old Renwick Road.
The 512 square metre building will house play rooms, sleep rooms, a reception, manager’s office, staff rooms and a laundry.
Centre co-owner Trudy Smith, from Nelson, said she was excited to bring her philosophy to Blenheim.
Smith had previously owned a childcare centre in Nelson which she sold three years ago.
She would help manage the centre from Nelson and a co-owner in Blenheim would be on the ground for the day-to-day running.
Smith said they had been looking into property in Blenheim for a while, and had researched where was best to open.
‘‘I was looking at where the gaps were and we bought sections in Rose Manor just under a year ago conditional on getting consent for the centre, which took longer then I thought,’’ Smith said.
‘‘It’s exciting, everything has been architecturally designed to best fit the purpose of the centre.
‘‘I’m a working mum so the positive is that I know the demands of working families.’’
She said the aim of the centre was to ‘‘let children be children’’ and help bring back old Kiwi ways, encouraging the use of the outdoors.
Deluxe Group managing director of property Greg Smith said allowing the development of a childcare centre was ‘‘common sense’’.
‘‘The north side of town is certainly a growth area for the future, with the colleges relocating to Mclachlan St that’s going to add a lot more demand for housing on that side of town,’’ Smith said.
‘‘It’s on the edge of the subdivision to help service children within the subdivision, so allowing a childcare centre on that side of town is common sense from my perspective.’’
The centre, which was approved at a resource management hearing last month, was opposed by one neighbouring resident.
However, the hearing concluded the adverse effects of the proposal are all less than minor and the proposal is considered to be consistent with the relevant objectives and principles of the Marlborough Environment Plan.
Old Renwick Road resident Phillipa Moore said she was glad the centre had been consented.
‘‘We’ve just had a baby so it will work really well for us,’’ she said.