LITTLE Green Rascles Organic Nursery were approved change of use from offices for a building on Tadcaster Road at area planning committee recently.

I was delighted to propose it. Dringhouses is short of nursery places and this will bring jobs. 

Economic Scrutiny also found last year that child places out of normal care hours of 8am to 6pm were in short supply. This nursery offers 7.30am to 6.30pm so helps to fill a gap for working parents.

Neighbours and officers had concerns over parking and access. The nursery owner made assurances over green travel plans that were far ranging, including off site staff parking, a mini bus, staggered drop off and pick up times, paying for parking space protection bollards for close neighbours and more.

As a green transport safety campaigner and author, I was impressed with the commitment to an ecological business model.

Being environmental makes sense for people, the planet and can be profitable too.

Coun Anna Semlyen, Labour, Dringhouses and Woodthorpe, chair of economic scrutiny, Grange Street, York.