CAMPAIGNERS were celebrating today after winning a battle to keep their college nursery open.

Parents and students were incensed at plans revealed by the New College Lanarkshire just weeks ago, which could have left them without a nursery at its Cumbernauld campus for eight months.

The college had proposed closing the nursery on New Year’s Eve and not reopening it until August, in a scheme that would transfer running of the nursery to Amcol, which run similar facilities at other New Lanarkshire College campuses.

But when it emerged that Amcol was a charity wholly owned by the college itself, management were accused of leaving local parents and students without provision for months in order to avoid Tupe obligations to workers at the nursery.

A coalition of workers, students and parents came together to campaign for the plans to be ditched, culminating in a rally at the nursery last Friday.

Now, after a meeting with parents earlier this week, the college has agreed to keep the nursery open, creating a nursery development board with parents, workers and students to build a five-year plan to secure its future.

Student, parent and nursery campaigner Sher Khalid-Ali told the Star: “This campaign was hard fought by parents who stood for their children to a management board who are motivated by profits.

“We stood strong when they expected us to lie down and I’m so glad we did.

“We are incredibly grateful that our nursery is safe but let this be a warning, when it comes to saving money; childcare and student services are, and should be, off limits.

“We are delighted that management have finally decided to implement strategies suggested by parents and we look forward to working with them in the future to facilitate the continuation of our nursery.”

New College Lanarkshire said the plans “will help us shape a strong foundation for the future” of the nursery.