PARENTS and children have welcomed the return of much-needed nursery facilities to a Ryedale village.

Wath Court Nursery is the first business to move into farm buildings at Wath Farm, near Hovingham, which have been revamped as part of a rural regeneration project.

Dozens of youngsters aged from a few months to 11 years have already signed up for the children's day care centre and after-school club.

The business offers indoor and outdoor play equipment and replaces another nursery that was shut and converted to housing in the village three years ago.

Founder Samantha Smith, 36, said she was "thrilled" with the response from villagers who were delighted to welcome a nursery back to the area.

The former Hovingham School classroom assistant, said: "We want this facility to be exciting and stimulating. We want it to be the best, offering high quality care." As well as baby and toddler care, the nursery offers to drop off and pick up older children at some nearby schools.

Ms Smith added that the nursery could be expanded to cater for residents in other nearby villages if there was sufficient interest.

The business is the first tenant to move in to the traditional farm buildings, which were renovated with the help of a Rural Enterprise Scheme grant.

Farmer Bruce Harrison, whose family have farmed on the site since 1953, said joining the Government-funded scheme made him feel like a "guinea pig."

But he added the private-public partnership scheme was a way of earning extra cash as farming profit margins dwindled.

He said: "Converting the buildings into office units will enable me to secure additional income for the farm while retaining the assets, and help to preserve an important heritage feature."

Updated: 10:39 Wednesday, February 26, 2003