Childcare Home, Preschool Plans Withdrawn, Rejected Over Highway Safety Surrey, Peterborough

Plans for two separate childcare-related developments have been withdrawn or rejected due to highway safety concerns. In Surrey, proposals to convert a caretaker’s bungalow into a preschool at St Thomas of Canterbury’s School were rejected by Guildford Borough Council after the Highways Authority warned of an unacceptable impact on road safety, citing increased traffic without additional parking. Despite strong support for the preschool in principle, councillors could not overlook these warnings. Meanwhile, in Peterborough, Good Seed Care Ltd withdrew plans to convert a house into a specialist children’s care home for up to four children with learning disabilities or emotional difficulties following objections from the local highway authority. The concerns included poor vehicle and pedestrian visibility, potential footway blockages, and inadequate parking, leading the applicant to prepare a revised application to address these issues. Both cases highlight the significant influence of highway safety assessments on the approval of childcare facility developments.