New nursery for 'dozens of children' planned for former Preston convent
The operator of the proposed facility says there is a “strong demand” for places.
Part of a convent that operated in suburban Preston for more than a century could be turned into a children’s nursery.
Plans have been lodged for the conversion of the former Carmelite institute on St. Vincents Road in Fulwood, which closed in 2023.
Shining Stars Nursery wants to create a facility that would cater for up to 72 youngsters and create 12 jobs.
The firm – which already has a fully-subscribed branch on Avenham Road in Preston – says there is “strong demand for children’s nursery care” across the city.
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Under the proposal, three of the buildings in the north-western corner of the two-hectare site would be repurposed – although the applicant states that only minor alterations would be required as they are all in “a fair state of repair”
Documents submitted to Preston City Council state that Lodge House would accommodate 15 babies, up to the age of two, while the ground floor of Main House would be occupied by 25 toddlers (aged 2–3 years) and first floor by 32 pre-school children (aged 4–5 years). An existing garage is to be refurbished for a staff area.
The remaining buildings on the plot – including the centrepiece convent – do not form part of the plans.
The vast majority of the overall site – which went on the market for £2m in 2023 and was later sold to a private buyer for an undisclosed sum – is made up of extensive grounds and a woodland area, as well as a private graveyard for the Carmelite Sisters.
The proposed nursery would operate on weekdays, all year round, between 7:30am and 5pm, but Shining Stars says children will arrive throughout the 8am-9am hour, while what it describes as “staggered collections” will be made from 3pm onwards. The firm – which was founded in 2008 and also operates two nurseries in Bolton and one in Blackburn – says its operational model aims to ”reduce concentrated traffic movements”.
The site would offer three parking spaces for drop-offs and pick-ups, along with two bays for staff and eight cycle storage pens. The existing access point for vehicles would be widened and a new sliding metal gate installed.
The convent was founded in 1917, with several of the nuns who became resident there originating from Preston. One of them – Sister Mary Winifred – celebrated all of her jubilees at the convent, including her 70th.
The six remaining sisters living at the site moved to other convents when the buildings closed three years ago.