Kensal House Day Nursery is situated on the Kensal House estate in west London. The estate was built in the 1930s in the modernist style. It provided a range of social and community facilities and was the first housing estate in the UK to incorporate its own day nursery.
Kensal House Nursery was forced to close in 1993 following too high renovation costs but it officially reopened on 29 June thanks to 600,000 of funding from the local council and the Sure Start North West Kensington Local Partnership.
The building has undergone a complete refurbishment, with new double glazing, new heating and disabled access.
The nursery provides 53 childcare places and will be operated by Buffer Bear, the UK's seventh largest nursery chain. Particular effort will be made to attract children from the estate and retain its historic link.
Kay Turner, managing director of Buffer Bear, said, 'All the features of the original design have been retained. The building is a semi-circle and all rooms lead directly on to the outside play area, which is ideal in central London.'
Ivor Flint, chairman of the Kensal House Estate residents' association, said, 'The residents are delighted to see the nursery restored to its former glory. It really invigorates the estate, bringing it back to the original vision of the architects.'
Kensal House Day Nursery is part of Kensington and Chelsea borough's Neighbourhood Nurseries Initiative to increase the availability of affordable childcare in North Kensington.
Other local nurseries have also received funding under the initiative and the borough has created an extra 217 childcare places.