THE Willows Nursery has been forced out of the premises it has occupied for the last 14 years, causing public outrage and ensuring overwhelming support from parents for it to carry on.

The nursery owners were served with an eviction letter to get out of the Beacon building last October, but after a number of reports in The Herald criticising parish councillors and trustees they were granted an extension until the end of this summer term.

But now the trustees of Bramshott War Memorial Recreation Ground, a registered charity, met in secret and decided to close the building with immediate effect – starting demolition at the earliest opportunity – claiming they had no choice but to evict The Willows.

The nursery has occupied the Beacon building at the Recreation Ground since 2001, giving the parish council an income of more than £64,000 in that time.

It leaves the staff and childre nowhere else to go at such short notice.

The trustees are parish councillors and under the chairmanship of Michael Croucher they held a closed meeting on July 27, The Herald can reveal.

They released the following statement: “The trustees have considered the options for the Pavilion (Beacon) building which has housed The Willows pre-school for a number of years under an annual licence arrangement.

“The parish council is the corporate trustee and as such they have to comply with charity law and uphold the objects of the trust laid down by the original benefactors.

“The key consideration for the trustees has been that the trust was set up to support only recreational activities for the whole community on Bramshott War Memorial Recreation Ground.

“Although the Willows management were willing to pay for repairs to the building they would require a long-term lease. On advice from the Charity Commission this could not be done within the terms of the current deeds as they do not allow for nursery education provision. The trustees were mindful of the building being uninsurable in its present condition and with much regret the decision has been made to close the building with immediate effect and start demolition at the earliest opportunity.

“The trustees are very aware this will have an effect on nursery provision in Liphook and are very sympathetic to those parents and children who will be affected by this action and will continue in their endeavour to assist The Willows in finding temporary accommodation until a permanent solution can be found.”

The decision to evict the nursery before Christmas was made in an exempt meeting of the recreation committee held in early October following a building survey report by Jacobs & Hunt, that was carried out last August on behalf of the council at a cost of £1,800.

It stated the building has been altered and extended over the years and required repair in places, with flooring needing to be properly fixed, as otherwise it poses a safety hazard.

Jackie Finlayson, one of the nursery owners told The Herald: “We were shocked by the decision the trustees made, especially since we were planning to carry out all repair works to the Beacon building during the summer holidays and had all the necessary money in place.

“These works were being financed by the partners of The Willows Nursery together with some assistance in the form of a capital grant fund of £12,000 from Hampshire County Council who were keen to see The Willows continue to provide a nursery facility in Liphook.

“To try and find somewhere else to locate to by September and move everything involved in running a nursery education business that would meet with Ofsted’s (our governing body) safe premises requirements is almost impossible.

“The Willows serves the community providing pre-school care and education for children in the village, with many working parents relying on us to provide this service.”

County councillor Ferris Cowper, who is also the leader of East Hampshire District Council, told The Herald: “I’m really to sorry to hear about the eviction. Organisations like The Willows provide a vital start in education for our children.

“It may be that the county council children’s services team can help with premises during the difficult interim period while a permanent home can be found. It’s also possible the district council might be able to assist with a grant to support The Willows during the transition.”

District councillor Bill Mouland said the decision was “bizarre and disappointing.” He said: “We had offered help and had stepped back to let the parish council and the nursery school complete their negotiations.

“I was astonished to hear the nursery had been told to quit, especially at such short notice when there is no time to find alternative premises.

“The Willows has been a valuable asset to the village for many years and to try to blame the situation on the Charity Commissioners or an insurance policy or the trustees, who are one and the same as the parish councillors, just looks like an excuse to get rid of the nursery. It will be interesting to see what is proposed for the site next.”

The Willows, which payed for its own soft play area to be laid, has since been trying to locate premises to move to a temporary basis, but has so far been unsuccessful, as all village and church halls are booked out on a regular basis.