PLANS have been submitted to expand a nursery in Walney as the area is in ‘desperate need’ for additional places.

Walney Central Nursery has applied to Westmorland and Furness Council for planning permission to build another nursery room so the site can accommodate more children.

According to planning documents the nursery currently provides for 42 children and the addition of the proposed facility will allow the nursery to accommodate 48 children.

The planning statement says: “We are applying for the planning permission as we were granted funding by Westmorland and Furness from the expansion of childcare and wraparound capital grants funding programme.

“We were granted the funding as Walney is in desperate need of further baby places due to the new rolled out government funding for working parents.”

In March 2023, the government announced an expansion of childcare entitlement to include 15 hours free early education for children aged nine months upwards from September 2024.

From September 2025 all children aged nine months upwards from working families will be able to access 30 hours of free early education.

This planning application is undergoing public consultation.