A PRIVATE nursery which received £215,000 of taxpayers' money to expand two years ago may sell part of its buildings because of empty spaces.

Crofters Park Nursery School in Gaskell Street, Bolton, is advertising to sell part of its buildings for £450,000 as just 90 of the nursery's 166 places are currently filled.

Just two years ago the private nursery was awarded a £215,000 grant to help it expand and create 50 new child care places, under the Government's new Neighbourhood Nursery initiative.

But following the massive growth of nursery places which have become available in Bolton in the past two years, nursery bosses are now having to decide how to fill empty spaces.

Managing Director Michael Ruaux said that selling part of the building was one of the options being considered but nothing definite had been decided.

He said his preferred option was to scrap plans to sell and to turn part of the building into a pottery cafe and children's craft centre. He is also considering turning one of the empty areas into a base for a teacher training agency.

He said: "The majority of the grant was for the sustainability for the initial two/three years of the project. From September we will be in our final year of getting that subsidy."

He said Bolton Council had created far more nursery places than he had anticipated which meant there was far greater competition for nursery children. While there has been growth at the nursery it is unlikely that they will grow sufficiently in the next 12 months once the grant runs out, to bring in the same return.

Mr Ruaux said he is not considering selling parts of the building that were refurbished through the grant and that none of the areas used by children will be sold.