PARENTS say they are saddened a community nursery will be demolished this summer after 16 years of helping families.

Park Keepers nursery, in Upper Heyford, near Bicester, is set for demolition as part of Heyford Park’s renovation plans to build up to 2,600 homes.

The proposal has been on the cards for a decade, but has now been confirmed for this summer.

With the doors finally set to close in July, parents are concerned at what care options there will be for children under five.

Park Keepers is an independent family-run nursery that serves the under five-year-olds in a building leased by Dorchester Living, owners of Heyford Park.

It is open 8am to 6pm and serves about 55 children.

Mum of two Sonja Hall said: "I moved into a new build house at Heyford Park in 2014, but I feel cheated.

"A creche has always been listed as a central service to be provided at Heyford Park by Dorchester Living.”

She added: "With rural children’s centres closing en masse, including Heyford Park’s later this month, and no continuity of private childcare, the situation is dire for parents that are working hard to contribute to our economy and raise their children to understand the importance of work."

Co-owner Debbie Brock said over the last decade they had been offered about five different buildings to move into but the options fell through for various reasons, including repair costs or buildings being sold.

She added: "The last offer was to use the school on their specialist campus, which was a fifth of the size we have now.

"I hope that childcare is resolved for the whole of Heyford Park community and would like to thank all the families that have supported us throughout our 16 years."

An alternative solution to house the nursery is yet to be found after years of close discussions with Dorchester Living.

A resident who did not want to be named said: “We are losing our much loved, longstanding services and there is still no sign of anything but new houses and plans so far.

"No pub, no restaurant, no shops, but houses as far as the eye can see."

Dorchester Living has said it is continuing to work on a solution for finding childcare services.

Chief executive Paul Silver said: "We want to offer our purchasers and tenants a service-led community, and we recognise how essential commercial childcare is for working families.

"The children of our community are very important to us, which is why we have taken such a large role in the establishment of Heyford Park Free School."

He added: "We have worked very hard with the nursery and Heyford Park Free School for some time to try and find alternative premises but the solutions put forward were declined.

"The current nursery has now taken the decision to close and although we are sorry to see them go, we have tried our utmost, over several years, to keep Park Keepers on site.

"We are working with local parents, who have established a steering group, to ensure a solution is found."

The development company said Heyford Park Free School will open a foundation stage nursery class in 2017 and it has started negotiations with commercial childcare providers to serve children up to age two.

It is also working on plans for a village centre which includes a Sainsbury’s convenience store, a pub, restaurant and community space.