A NEW £1.6 million flagship nursery has launched after the redevelopment of a former pub.

Kinder Haven Nursery, which already owns eight other locations, has opened the doors of its latest early years service in Eccleshill with the help of a funding package from HSBC UK.

The nursery, housed in the former Prospect Pub, has already had a huge take-up as it brings a valuable service to an area with limited childcare facilities.

The site has seen the old pub transformed into a nurturing environment for up to 120 children, which combines the old with the new - balancing heritage and functionality in the development.

Within the building itself, the spaces have been changed to make it better suited to a nursery setting, but a lot of the character on the outside of the building has been maintained.

Eccleshill is a location that has been on the mind of director, Danielle Dixon, for while now and the group have actually had hold of the premises for two years before opening.

She said: “We’ve looked into the area for quite some time. A lot of our current clients come from there, and the Idle and Thackley area.

“It’s been a long time in the making - we wanted to make it stand out. It has an amazing exterior, the rooms are bigger than normal and there’s an amazing car park.”

The group opened its first nursery back in 2002 and now provides childcare for tots aged up to five years old.

Kinder Haven Nursery currently employs 170 people and strives to provide exceptional early years development, with four of its nurseries currently rated as ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted.

The opening of its new flagship nursery is expected to create up to 30 new jobs locally over the next year, with 12 positions created immediately.

Regeneration and supporting the community is very much part of the group’s ethos.

Mrs Dixon said: “This location was originally a pub and we’ve added and adapted to make it more modern. We’ve used pubs, churches and old nurseries before - it’s all about the size, how compatible it is, inside and externally as well, in order for the children to expand and learn.”

She added: “We support Bradford. I’m a Bradford individual and I’m proud. If a building is underused we like to support and develop the community by developing it and bringing it to the modern ear and reducing rundown locations.

“We like to employ local people and educate them in early years care.”

The group are currently looking into two further options for nurseries but Mrs Dixon said it’s important they find the right building and there has to be a need for childcare in that area.

She said: “Being affordable is a main aim as well as providing high quality childcare. We want to give kids the best start in life - be an extension of the family.”

Lucy Rushworth, of HSBC UK, said: “Kinder Haven Nursery excels at what it does and this flagship nursery will set the benchmark for early year’s childcare in Bradford.

“The market for childcare looks set to see steady growth for the foreseeable future and Kinder Haven Nursery, with its popular brand, is in a strong position to flourish.”