This Council notes that nannies and childminders play an important role within the childcare sector, offering flexible childcare for families.
This Council notes that:
nannies and childminders play an important role within the childcare sector, offering flexible childcare for families. The local authority has a responsibility to:
- ensure sufficient and suitable quality early education and childcare places to enable parents to work, or to undertake education or training which could lead to employment.
- secure sufficient and suitable early years and childcare places to meet predicted demand.
- secure free early years provision for all three and four year olds, and the most vulnerable two year olds, of 570 hours per year. in the Spring budget, it was announced that there would be an increase in childcare support available to families.
The additional support will be rolled out in the following stages:
- from April 2024, all working parents of two-year-olds can access 15 hours per week.
- from September 2024, all working parents of children aged nine months up to three years old can access 15 hours per week.
- from September 2025 all working parents of children aged nine months up to three years old can access 30 hours free childcare per week.
This Council expresses concern that:
some house builders place restrictive covenants on their properties which prohibit residents living within them from running a business from home including childcare.
as a restrictive covenant does not expire, it will be applicable indefinitely, even if the building is sold and the ownership changes. whilst it is possible to have a covenant revoked, it is not guaranteed and therefore it is a risk to those looking to move, or to start a business, who may need to invest in training and resources prior to a decision being made.
advice has been sought from legal teams who have highlighted the fact that any request to have a covenant revoked could be met with legal challenge as neighbouring properties will have been sold on the assumption that such covenants would be in place. data suggests that fewer childminders are operating on new developments despite evidence of demand for childcare.
This Council recognises the need to:
- be proactive and develop strong partnerships with District Councils and the Planning Departments to ensure that this issue is highlighted, and possible solutions explored.
- ensure regular communication with the Place Planning Team / Early Years Team at Cambridgeshire County Council to ensure any all issues are logged and can be explored further.
- The Council therefore resolves to: make a recommendation to the District Councils that on strategic new developments, a condition of planning is that such restrictive covenants which are to be put in place state explicitly that childcare on domestic premises will be exempt, where there is an identified need which can be demonstrated.
- highlight the importance of such changes with developers and house builders to ensure that they are aware of the barrier that these covenants can cause.
- signpost childcare providers, and residents, to the appropriate support within the local authority when concerns are experienced.