A village has welcomed the decision to set up a children's nursery there, having been five years without one.

The nursery will be opened in Hampsthwaite C of E Primary School, in Nidderdale, in September, subject to planning permission.

It has been given the go-ahead by North Yorkshire Schools' Organisation Committee after residents overwhelmingly backed the initiative.

The nursery, due to be housed in a separate building at the school, will look after 13 children aged three and four.

Criteria for admission will be the same as for every other county council nursery class.

One mother, in a plea for the nursery to be established, said: "As an expectant working mum, I think that the nursery proposal is an excellent idea."

Another said: "People won't have to travel into Harrogate for pre-school nursery provision.

"Children will be able to mix with others, ideally preparing them for school. Bus links are poor to Harrogate and not everyone has access to a car."

County councillor Heather Garnett, who represents the area, said she was delightedwith the news and looked forward to the opening of the nursery.

Councillor Garnett said a nursery had been missed in the community and that the announcement of the initiative had been widely welcomed.

In the latest report by schools watchdog Ofsted, Hampsthwaite School was rated "very good", with standards for 11-year-olds in English, mathematics and science reported as very high.

Pupils behaved well with good attitudes to their work, Ofsted said, and parents had an excellent opinion of the school, which built up "very constructive relationships with the local community".

The Ofsted report suggested that improvements could include provision for under-fives.

A spokesman for the county council said the opening of the nursery would meet that provision.