Nursery kids banned from playing in garden after neighbours complain about noise

A nursery has been banned from letting its kids play outside after neighbours complained their giggling was too noisy.
Objectors complained to the council saying there was “far too much noise” in the garden and the “giggling and laughing” was annoying.
The nursery, which has a small outside area where the tots can play and where they grow strawberries and tomatoes, has now been told to stop using its outside space until council officials visit the site.
Amanda Kelly, manager of the pre-school - which has been going since 2003 with no complaints - said the kids were not at all noisy.
Speaking last week, after kids were temporarily banned from going outside while the council investigate the issue, she said: “We have been here since 2003 and these are two, three and four-year-olds who are not kicking large footballs at windows.

“They are just small children running around and giggling. “They are out there for an hour in the morning and up to an hour- and-a-half in the afternoon. It’s not such a great length of time that we’re disturbing anyone.

“You’re always going to get people who are grumpy and don’t like children.”

The nursery, which looks after 22 kids at its home in Crawley Baptist Church, received a glowing Ofsted report earlier this year.
It was rated as good, and that it was almost outstanding’, after inspectors watched kids playing indoors and outdoors, saying the nursery ‘made the most out of the outdoor area to allow children to play’.
Ofsted inspectors raised no concerns about children being noisy or out of control.
Local Christopher Dennis, 45, said: “Who complains about laughing children? It’s one of the loveliest sounds in the world.

“These people need to realise that by writing to the council to complain they are depriving children of playing outside - I hope they are happy with themselves.”

The council’s development control committee ordered that kids not be allowed out until the complaints are fully investigated.

The council will make a ruling later this month.


UK Mirror