SCORES of families may lose their childcare and 15 people may lose their jobs after plans to move an Oxford nursery were scuppered.

Nursery staff and two of their young charges

Permission for the Oxford Nursery in Barracks Lane, east Oxford, to move to the County Trading Estate in Cowley had been granted two months ago.

But at a city council meeting on Wednesday, health and safety experts revealed the proposed new site is dangerously close to a gasholder, owned by gas delivery company Transco.

The nursery, which leases a building from the Oxford Community School, has until June 30 to find new premises or it will be forced to close.

Nursery owner Peter Vickers said: "I am devastated. My staff will be made redundant and all the families will lose their childcare.

"The site was not perfect but it was decent. It is the most suitable site we have been able to find in Oxford. It is very unlikely we will find a better site and get planning permission by the end of June."

The nursery looks after 76 children.

Catherine Loadman, 33, of Herschel Crescent, Littlemore, has a two-year-old son, Lucas, who is cared for at the Oxford Nursery. She said: "I am very shocked and worried. It is very difficult to find a nursery place in Oxford. There are queues of two to three years to get into a good nursery and the parents of 80-odd children will be fighting to get places.

"The council should be supporting the nursery and not abandoning it."

Mina Katouzian, 34, of Cowley, has a four-year-old son, Jahan, who attends the nursery.

She said: "It is a wonderful nursery, Jahan has been very happy there. We are both working parents and if the nursery closes, one of us might have to give up our job."

Caroline Ortetagu,of Ridgeway Road, Risinghurst, whose one-year-old daughter Rosie is cared for by the nursery, said: "What about all the other businesses that are also close to the gasholder? If it is dangerous, why are they allowed to stay open?" At the Cowley area committee meeting, Bob Woodward, of the Health & Safety Executive, said: "In the event that the gas seal caught fire there is a potential the proposed site could catch fire as it is just 50m away, within the thermal dose area.

"With children present, who are classed as a vulnerable population, we could not recommend it for use as a nursery."

Cowley councillor Stan Taylor said: "I am going to find it very difficult to say 'yes' to a scheme we are recommended to refuse on health and safety grounds.

"We have a responsibility to protect children."

Cllr Ruth Beer said: "All the evidence shows the site is not suitable for a nursery."

Cowley councillors voted four to one to refuse planning permission for the nursery to move.

Oxford East MP Andrew Smith recently sent a letter to Ian Johnson, headteacher of the Oxford Community School, to ask for the lease to be extended. The request was refused.

Mr Johnson said the school was making room for more community activities and classes for pupils.

Mr Vickers said he would be looking for space for the nursery to relocate at other schools and community centres in the city.