A NURSERY which has been waiting for decades to be able to upgrade its building may finally be able to – but it needs the town's help.

Rainbow Pre-school in Wallingford has been using the recreational rooms at the town's Bullcroft park since 1974, but Town Green legislation protecting the park and its buildings has prevented it from updating its facilities.

What's more, efforts to enlist the local authority's help for the past two years seemed to be in vain.

Now, though, Oxfordshire County Council has agreed to run a public consultation on de-registering the building, which could finally allow the pre-school staff to build the facilities of their dreams.

But in order to build the case, Wallingford Town Council has asked locals for evidence that the pre-school's building existed before the Town Green status came into force in 1967.

Pre-school manager Sheila Millett said: "This building was built as a canteen in the Second World War and ever since I've been working here (from 1995) we have been waiting for a new building.

"We are looking for a purpose built-facility for the children.

"It would be so great to get a new facility for the children in our lovely setting, right in the middle of the park."

The Bullcroft park and the buildings in it are registered as a Town Green, meaning any attempts to develop it are difficult to implement.

Wallingford Town Council has been asking the county council since 2016 if the protected status could be lifted so the nursery could upgrade.

Town councillor Lee Upcraft, who has campaigned to upgrade the facilities, said: "The town council has been aware for some time that we need to replace the recreation rooms – they were built in 1940 and are now well past their best.

"We want to provide all our tenants, including Rainbow Pre-school, with modern, fit-for-purpose accommodation.

"We approached the county, as the registration authority, in 2016 to correct the error which would let us bring forward suitable plans, but it has taken them until now to start looking at the application in detail.

"The delay has been frustrating but I’m pleased that they’re finally about to start work to de-register the buildings."

An county spokesman confirmed that work had begun on the application to lift the Town Green protection and said a consultation would be launched soon asking residents for views.

But to help with the application, Mr Upcraft called on locals to help prove that the pre-school building was put up before 1967.

He said: “The county council will look at the available evidence to confirm that the buildings existed before the park was registered as a Town Green in 1967, unfortunately we have very little documentary evidence.

"If members of the public have any photographs, or would be willing to write a statement based on their memories of the park before 1967 that would be really useful."

Anyone who can help is asked to email cllr.lee.upcraft@wallingfordtowncouncil.gov.uk