A former nursery and primary school in Ashley is set to reopen as a school for children with additional needs.
The Tatton Estate confirmed this week that it has agreed terms with an educational charity to take on the former Ashley School Nursery on Back Lane.
The former primary school and nursery comprises a 2,917 sq ft detached building, owned by the estate, which has now been secured for use within the local community.
The estate says the lease means the building will continue to host education for young people and is an example of its approach partnership work in the area.
The charity – which hasn’t been named – is understood to be one of a number of interested parties when the building came up for rent.
Henry Brooks of The Tatton Estate commented: “We are a proud supporter of the Cheshire Community Foundation and are delighted to welcome a well-established charity to Tatton.
“The charity’s goals align with ours in terms of delivering long-term benefits for the communities that we live and work in – in particular relating to skills, education and young people.
“We are especially pleased that our joint working with the parish councillors is building special partnerships with strong local support to ensure community assets remain at the heart of The Tatton Estate.”
The Cheshire Community Foundation supports hundreds of small charities and voluntary groups across Cheshire and Warrington.
It connects individuals and businesses with grass-roots charities, helping those most in need, and says it enables donors to feel proud that they’ve made a real difference.
Lettings agent Rupert Collis commented: “We worked alongside Tatton Estate and Ashley Parish Council to ensure the building remained as a place for state education.
“We saw significant interest from a range of parties for the former nursery and were able to secure terms with the new occupiers that will benefit both them and The Tatton Estate.
“It’s fantastic that the building will continue to serve children in the area as a place to support them as a result of this deal.”
He added: “Considering the pressures on the economy at the moment, the commercial market around Knutsford in this special part of Cheshire remains resilient and this latest deal is a great example of that.”
