A STRUGGLING Bolton nursery is set to close its doors for good this summer.

Bolton Council has issued a formal notice to close the well-known Susan Isaacs Nursery because of ongoing budget pressures and falling numbers.

If the council’s cabinet rubber stamps the proposals at its next meeting on February 22, then the Vernon Street-nursery, which has been educating children in Bolton since the 1930s, will close down at the end of the summer term on August 31.

The statutory notice allows four weeks from today for interested parties to make their views known.

These will then be reported to the cabinet prior to the final decision meeting next month.

The nursery’s 22 employees have been informed of the closure notice and will now enter into a consultation period with the council regarding their jobs.

The council-run institution currently looks after 63 children from birth to almost five-years-old and a letter has gone out to parents regarding the latest development.

Issues surrounding the nursery’s financial struggles and falling numbers first came to light in September last year when shocked staff and parents were told about a possible closure.

The news was met with anger from union bosses who accused the nursery of turning away children — a claim that was refuted at the time.

An initial consultation prompted a petition of more than 400 signatures against the closure to be handed to the council.

Deputy council leader Cllr Linda Thomas said: “After much deliberation and discussion with the governing body about the nursery’s funding issues and falling numbers, it became apparent that its long term financial future was unsustainable and therefore we were faced with no option but to explore the possibility of closure last autumn.

“Despite a heartening response during consultation, the situation remains that the nursery is not sustainable and it is with great sadness that we are now in a position where we have issued a formal statutory notice of closure, with a final decision made next month.”

The school is named after Susan Isaacs, a pioneer in early years’ education who was born in Bolton in 1885.

Cllr Thomas said the school has been a “beacon of good practice” in the past but that the authority will now explore the possibility of other early years groups moving into the building.

These could include the Bolton Toy Library or the Bolton Children’s Opportunity Group, which have both expressed interest.

The council intends to retain the iconic Susan Isaacs name in any future use of the building.

A statement from the Governing Board of Susan Isaacs said: “As a direct result of grave concerns regarding the nursery’s serious budget and funding arrangements and having considered the responses, the Governing Board have taken the significant decision to advise the Council that the Nursery is no longer financially viable.

“The governors have throughout the process taken the advice and guidance of the council and this decision has not been taken without due consideration of all facts and options presented to them.

“The need for this action became clear following an extensive and thorough examination of the budgets in recent months, and assessment of future funding for the nursery.”