David Beavan, deputy leader of East Suffolk Council, calls for extra funding for schools after collapse of Alpha Nurseries, affecting residents in Ipswich, Southwold, Woodbridge and Lowestoft

A Suffolk district councillor has called on the county council and government to act in the wake of the collapse of a nurseries business, leaving parents stranded for the new year.

David Beavan, deputy leader of East Suffolk Council, has made the claim after Alpha Nurseries, which operates premises across Suffolk, and in his ward of Southwold, announced its closure.

As well as Brambles, situated next to Reydon Primary School, in Cllr Beavan’s ward, Alpha also ran nurseries in Felixstowe, Ipswich, Lowestoft, Martlesham and Woodbridge.

Alpha Nurseries said in a letter to parents that it would cease trading on December 29, and directed parents that were owed money to the law firm Begbies Traynor for the procedures on how to make a claim.

Cllr Beavan said: “This happened again just four years ago in Reydon and hardworking parents were left stranded without childcare for months.

“I am calling on the County Council to help as Reydon parents have nowhere else to take their kids; I am also calling on the government to fund these schools properly so that they can stay in business.

“A government that does not care for our youngest is not fit for purpose."

In the letter to parents, the company said that the decision to close was ‘not taken lightly,’ but that there was not an ability to keep the business open.

It further stated that the directors of the company had instructed Begbies Taylor to assist with placing Alpha into Creditors’ Voluntary Liquidation.

The company apologised for any difficulties caused and issued its hoped that parents would be able to find alternative arrangements as soon as possible.

Ruth Leach, county councillor for Woodbridge, wrote a letter to Cllr James Reeder, Cabinet Member for Children’s and Young People’s Services, in the wake of the closure, having experienced similar difficulties herself when Amberfield School closed overnight and her then three-year-old daughter became without a school overnight.

She said: “This is an unexpected blow to the very fabric of family life in Suffolk and many people are going to be feeling desperate over this bank holiday as they try to figure out how they will go to work on Tuesday morning without childcare.

“Education and community budgets are already stretched beyond reason but I suggest that temporarily these families may be just as impacted as much as families that experienced flooding during Storm Babet.

“It is not measurable in material damage but could impact family income and strain relationships significantly over the next few weeks.”

Cllr Leach shared some ideas with Cllr Reeder on how these impacts could be mitigated in future, including communicating the decision on the Suffolk County Council website, informing families of their HR options, publishing a list with nurseries and minders as soon as possible, offering compensation and encouraging an explanation of why this has happened.

Dr Therese Coffey, MP for Suffolk Coastal, said: “It’s concerning to hear the news about Alpha Nurseries, particularly for affected parents who will be trying to find new places rapidly. The government is taking action this year, investing an extra £400m to deliver a significant uplift to hourly rates, reflecting increases in costs of local nurseries.

“Today (January 2), applications also open for the first wave of the rollout of the largest ever expansion of free childcare for working parents from this April, which should also provide certainty and stability to providers.”

The nurseries operated by Alpha in Suffolk were:

Ipswich: Bluebells Nursery, in Bond Street; Burlington Road After School Club; Grange Farm Nursery, in Twelve Acre Approach, Kesgrave; SMASH Club, in Bolton Lane; Treehouse Nursery, in Clapgate Lane.

Felixstowe: The Oaks Nursery, in Grange Road

Lowestoft: Seashore Day Nursery, in Crown Score, Seashore House.

Martlesham: Pixels Day Nursery, in Hawker Drive.

Reydon, near Southwold: Brambles Day Community Nursery and Out Of School Club, in Jermyns Road.

Woodbridge: Black Tiles Out of School Club, in Black Tiles Lane.