Speaking last week at the Investing in Childcare conference in London organised by Laing & Buisson, Jeremy Hand, managing director of West Private Equity and chairman of Asquith Court, predicted that at a rate of 10 per cent growth a year, the nursery sector could be worth more than 8bn by 2015, which was only 'slightly smaller than the pub market today'.
Mr Hand said, 'We would predict that the market would continue to grow by more than 10 per cent in the next five to ten years.'
He added that the top ten largest nursery chains would increase their share of the market from the current 7 per cent to more than 20 per cent within that time, and predicted that 'commercial flair will really differentiate the winners'.
The current uncertainty for private providers in the wake of Government initiatives would pass, he said.
The Investing in Childcare conference was chaired by Purnima Tanuku, chief executive of the National Day Nurseries Association.