A new statement has been released regarding Pippa Middleton’s plans to open a nursery at Bucklebury Farm, the 72-acre estate she owns with husband James Matthews.
The couple, who purchased the property for £1.5 million in 2020, were granted planning permission earlier this month.
As previously reported by GB News, the Princess of Wales’s younger sister, 41, is preparing to open a nursery for children aged between nine months and five years.
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Pippa Middleton’s nursery plans prompt new statement from local council
|GETTY
The facility will be located within the West Berkshire attraction, which already features animal enclosures, a café, and outdoor play areas.
The local council approved the proposal, stating that the development would deliver “strong social benefits.”
The council noted: “There is a local shortage of early years places,” with the nursery expected to help address the shortfall in childcare provision across the region.
In a new comment shared with Hello!, a council spokesperson reaffirmed the decision, saying the plans “would deliver strong social benefits in that it would provide additional early year places where there is a shortage of places available.”
Pippa and James Matthews moved to Bucklebury Farm in 2022
| INSTAGRAM / BUCKLEBURY FARMAs part of the proposal, Pippa and James applied to convert an existing log cabin on the farm for multiple uses.
The application sought to allow “a flexible use of space for farm workers dwelling, office space, meeting room, workshop, studio and nursery.”
According to the couple’s application, the new nursery, intended for children aged 12 months to four years, “would bring significant benefits to the local community, the economy, and most importantly, local families.”
The statement continued: “This initiative will help address an urgent need for early years childcare places in West Berkshire while utilising a unique and enriching natural environment.
James Matthews previously purchased the 72-acre Bucklebury Park Farm | PALATEST ROYAL NEWS:
James Matthews and Pippa Middleton on their wedding day in 2017
| PA“There is currently a notable shortage of nursery spaces in the local area, which has made it increasingly difficult for parents to access high-quality early education and care for their children.
“Our proposed nursery at Bucklebury Farm will ease this pressure, offering an additional 20 to 25 places for young children and enabling many parents – particularly mothers – to return to work or increase their hours, thereby supporting the local economy and improving family wellbeing.”
The nursery is expected to open within the next year, pending final preparations and approvals.
It marks the latest addition to Pippa and James’s efforts to expand Bucklebury Farm into a thriving family-focused destination.