PUPILS and staff at a Billericay nursery are devastated after being told they will not get £800,000 they were promised to build a new pre-school.

Buttsbury Pre-school, in Perry Street, was given the bad news just weeks before work was due to start on the project.

It planned to knock down the existing pre-school, which staff say is old and not fit for purpose, and replace it with a modern one-storey building, to be shared with the community.

After a successful bid in February, the school was awarded £800,000 by Essex County Council’s Early Years scheme.

Demolition work was set to start on September 6, but in late August the head received a letter from the county council telling her the scheme was on hold because the Department for Education was threatening to clawback the cash in a bid to find savings.

Ann Eldridge, manager of the pre-school, said: “This news has disappointed and devastated all members of staff and families, whose long-term goal was to provide a centre of excellence in early years practise.

“We’ve written to the local authority because we have no idea what’s going on. We’ve just been told to suspend all building work.

“Our children deserve the best, but our current building is not fit for purpose.”

The new building was set to include a sensory room, which is particularly beneficial for youngsters with special needs.

It was also to have a training room and a revamped outside play area.

Mrs Eldridge said the benefits of would have extended beyond the 30 tots who attend the pre-school every day.

She said: “The new pre-school would also have been open to the community, and local organ-isations had already shown an interest.

“If we have to abandon the project, it will be a real disappointment for everyone.”

The news comes as the Government seeks to find £6.2billion of savings this financial year, of which the Department for Education has to contribute some £670m.