A NEW children's nursery is to open in Fishburn after a lengthy planning wrangle.

The Bright Buttons Nursery, which will open for business on April 7, has 37 places available and will employ four members of staff from the village and nearby communities of Trimdon and Sedgefield.

Senior manager and proprietor Christine Kellett has 14 years experience in day care, including ten years at the Pixley Dell Nursery, in Spennymoor.

The nursery almost failed to get planning approval from the council because of fears over visibility problems for cars leaving Sedgefield Terrace.

But following a site visit, members of Sedgefield Borough Council's planning committee satisfied themselves that the scheme should go ahead.

What was not in doubt was the need for a nursery in Fishburn, a fact which Mrs Kellett discovered when she visited the village.

She said: "I familiarised myself with Fishburn and the community to do a feasibility study and believe this will be of benefit to the whole community."

The nursery, which is being supported by the County Durham Early Years Partnership and Sure Start, received £20,720 in capital costs to help convert the property.

Mrs Kellett has been given supplier status by the Government's Neighbourhood Nursery Initiative.

The nursery has a baby unit, a unit for two and three-year-olds, three play rooms upstairs and a large garden.

For more details, or to arrange a visit, telephone (01740) 629908 or 07944 590574.