A SOUTHAMPTON nursery run by the city council has stopped accepting new children amid growing uncertainty over future staffing levels.

Hundreds of city council workers are being encouraged to apply for voluntary redundancy in a bid to save £35m by the next financial year. 

A report revealing how the council aims to achieve its savings target is due to be published soon.

It will give an update on the authority's medium-term financial strategy, which will be debated at a meeting of its ruling cabinet on July 20.

READ MORE: Hundreds of city council workers encouraged to apply for voluntary redundancies

A council-run nursery has already contacted the parents of children on its waiting list.

StartPoint Sholing says: "You are receiving this message because your child's name is currently on the waiting list for a place at the nursery.

"Southampton City Council is calling for staff across all its services to volunteer for redundancy.

"As a result, the nursery does not know its staff structure for September 2023 and we are currently unable to admit new children for a start in the autumn term.

"We know this will be a disappointment to some and we apologise for the inconvenience.

"We will contact those families affected in September to let you know if we can offer an autumn term start."

Based at Wood Close, Sholing, the nursery offers term-time sessions as well as a limited number of all-year-round spaces.

Its website says: "The nursery has a five-strong senior leadership team who between them have more than 140 years' of experience in Early Years. The whole team comprises 26 staff with a range of qualifications."

The website adds that 75 per cent of the staff at the nursery have been working at StartPoint for more than eight years.