Residents of Bishops Lydeard, a rapidly growing village near Taunton, have received a welcome early Christmas gift. Local councillors have approved moving forward with a new £370,000 nursery development to meet rising demand for early years education.
The existing small nursery at Bishops Lydeard Church School on Mount Street has been oversubscribed for several years, forcing many parents onto waiting lists and turning children away. To address this, Rachel Gilmour, the Liberal Democrat MP for Tiverton and Minehead, has been advocating for £100,000 of funding sourced from contributions by local housing developers to expand nursery facilities. This campaign has involved close cooperation with the Bath & Wells Multi Academy Trust, which manages both the nursery and primary school.
Bishops Lydeard Parish Council has now formally approved the allocation of this funding, allowing construction to potentially begin by February 2026. The village has experienced significant housing growth recently, with developments such as the 173-home Moorland Gate estate by David Wilson Homes and proposed plans for up to 130 more homes by Cavanna Homes.
READ MORE: Dog’s Hilarious Encounter with Santa at Christmas Grotto Goes Viral
READ MORE: Yeovil Town Braces for Challenging Boxing Day Clash Against Truro City
Funding from developers typically comes through Section 106 agreements, which cover local amenities, and the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), pooled to finance larger projects like schools or surgeries. Parish councils retain a portion of these CIL funds to invest in community improvements. In this case, £100,000 of CIL money had been earmarked for equipping a new nursery space within ‘The Old School House’, near the existing site.
Despite months of delay, the parish council’s December 10 vote means the nursery expansion can proceed, with an estimated cost of up to £370,000. Meanwhile, the primary school has applied for further funding from the Department for Education, supported by Mrs Gilmour, with a funding decision expected by April 2026.
The project can progress even without this additional grant thanks to an increase in the multi-academy trust’s match funding from £150,000 to £220,000, leaving just £50,000 still to be raised.
Mrs Gilmour, who has campaigned vigorously since her election in July 2024, expressed her delight at the news and pledged to continue advocating to the Department for Education to enable the new nursery to open by September 2026.
She said: “This is absolutely wonderful news for the local community in and around Bishops Lydeard. If all goes according to plan, children and families will benefit from wraparound care at the new nursery in The Old School House starting next September. I’m grateful to the parish council for committing this funding and will keep supporting the school to see the project through.”
Phil Durban from the Bishops Lydeard Residents Action Group added: “This is the best Christmas present for children and families here. After 18 months of campaigning involving our MP, parents, grandparents, and residents, we finally have a new nursery class coming to the village school in September 2026. Moving forward, with Rachel’s support, it’s important to push for quicker access to CIL funds so schools and early years services can meet community needs as housing grows.”
He also noted that delays by the parish council in releasing CIL funding had caused cost increases and longer waiting lists, highlighting the urgency of timely decisions for such vital local services.