Felixstowe nursery will be allowed to open next week after St John Ambulance agreed to allow them to continue using their hall.

There were fears the nursery would not be able to open as planned on September 3 as St John Ambulance were looking to see the building in Ataka Road.

A petition was launched calling for them to be able to continue using Ambulance Hall until buyer was found, or the nursery was able to be relocate, and St John Ambulance this afternoon agreed to that request.

A St John Ambulance spokesperson told Nub News: "St John Ambulance is consulting on the closure of over 100 buildings across England as part of its COVID recovery plan. The building in Ataka Road, Felixstowe is one of these sites.

"Recognising the importance of providing child care during the pandemic both for the children concerned and in order that key workers and other parents can return to their jobs, we have spoken to the Nursery and are currently making arrangements for the Ataka Road site to be open for their use from 3 September.

"We will continue to work with the Nursery and our St John people locally to ensure that the closure of Ataka Road is completed and all services currently provided there are able to make alternative arrangements.

"However, it is great that the Nursery has been interested in purchasing the building. We would need to abide by Charity Commission regulations and get an independent valuation and market it appropriately.

"We will keep the Nursery informed as this process progresses and support them as best as we can."

Supporters of the nursery took to social media to make their plea and hundred of people signed the petition, which read:

Today, Felixstowe Nursery School were informed that they wouldn't be able to stay at their Ataka Road premises and would need to vacate by 1st September 2020, which is only 1 week away! This means they won't be able to follow government advice to reopen and allow the children to get back to education! St John's Ambulance have decided they need to sell the building, which the nursery are wanting to buy, but St John's are not letting them stay until the sale happens which means the nursery has no premises to open from this term! If at all! If everyone please signs this petition in an attempt to make SJA change their minds and let our children go back to nursery! Felixstowe has already lost 2 nursery's this year and there just isn't enough room elsewhere for them to all go!

One parent, said: "These children have been through enough in the last few months and just as they were preparing to get back to some sort of normality, it has been snatched from under them!

"123 Nursery group is a gem of a nursery, to anyone who has had the pleasure of going to this nursery or having their children go there have all been so pleasantly happy with the care they have received.

"The nursery is run by a lovely group of nursery staff who go above and beyond, I know this as my eldest went there and when my 2nd child came up to nursery age I wouldn't consider anywhere else.

"They did so much for my children, this is the least I could do for them."