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The town has fewer childcare places as a proportion of its adult population than is normal for this size of town. This is not surprising, given the long term trend of its aging population. But, if the vision of shifting its demographic profile is to be successful, a younger population will place a greater demand on the current facilities in the town. 

The policy therefore seeks to encourage proposals for new facilities, either as new builds or through the change of use and conversion of buildings currently in other uses. Not all locations are suited to such a use, as they can cause traffic congestion at peak periods through drop-off/collections and staff parking, and noise pollution in quiet neighbourhoods if operating a full day from 0700 – 1900 hours. The policy also requires satisfactory mitigation measures to be implemented in locations where these factors have the potential to lead to harm on the local amenities.