A POTENTIAL saviour could be being lined up for Great Yarmouth College’s Day Nursery, which has been granted an extension to stay in its current premises until the end of the year.

Two potential buyers have come forward seeking to take over the nursery at the college’s Southtown campus, which was faced with closure ten months ago because the college needed to raise money due to government budget cuts.

However, negotiations between Norfolk County Council’s children’s services team and the buyers are on-going and as yet no definite buyer has been found.

Another piece of positive news has been the college’s decision to extend the nursery’s lease until December 31, allowing time for an agreement to be reached.

College principal Penny Wycherley said: “I am hopeful that the county council will be able to achieve something to enable both our students and staff and the local community to have a nursery they can use.”

The college needs to sell the nursery’s building to raise money to pay for a redevelopment of the Lichfield Road campus after government funding was slashed halfway through the regeneration process.

The government’s Learning and Skills Council had provided funding, but the money was axed due to cuts to try and reduce the national debt.

The nursery was due to close a month ago, but is now set to move to another building on the college site if a buyer can be found.

In October, the college’s acting principal Julia Howard told a packed meeting of over 70 converned parents that plans to relocate the nursery to Ambitions restaurant on campus had been dropped due to the cost involved.

However, she said negotiations were taking place with a potential buyer for the building housing the nursery, which had been given until Christmas to match the college’s asking price.

Following the meeting, Mark Rose, of Gorleston, whose son Oscar, attends the nursery, spoke of his concern for the nursery.

He said: “It is our children’s education that we are worried about and we want to see that maintained in a facility locally and my hope is the college reaches an agreement to save the nursery.”