PARENTS gathered at St. Michael’s Primary school yesterday for what should have been a celebration of a new nursery, were instead, they say, let down by Newport council.

The Catholic Pill primary school expected to open a new nursery in January 2014 in their fully equipped space which has already been serving as a satellite nursery venue, for Pillgwenlly Primary.

Helen Quigley, head teacher at St. Michael’s, said: “I have received an email to say that we aren’t going to have a nursery in January.

“We’ve been promised this for two years now.”

Parents like Hellina Beake, who have children in St.Michael’s but another in nursery, are having to dash between the two Pill schools, which start within minutes of each other.

For Rebecca Gordon, her whole day is taken up with dropping off and collecting her children from the different venues and she worries how she will continue her child care course.

She said: “I feel like I was betrayed. We’ve been lied to.”

Full-time working mum of three, Carolann French, currently has to pay £800 a month for her son’s nursery, due to lack of council places. She said: “It’s absolutely killing us.”

The council said there was not enough time to inform parents of the application process, which for the January intake ends on October 4. Due process states parents must be given six weeks. The council didn’t offer a reason as to why this hadn’t been done.

School governor, Angelika Paetel, said: “Every single time, there’s been an obstacle. And not ones the school could have helped.”

Millbrook and Monnow nurseries who put in their statutory notices at the same time as St. Michael’s, have had their nurseries approved in time for January.

The satellite nursery from Pill worked well, but only runs for the January intake of children. As a result, children can end up going between the two nurseries up to three times over the various terms, which can be very disruptive.

Newport council have said the plans for the nursery remain. A statement released Thursday said: “One full terms notice of the intention to open needs to be given legally and it is planned to open in April 2014. Pill has hosted a satellite nursery school and is now working with St Michael’s and the council to manage pressures in the area.”