Staff at Granville Plus Nursery School in South Kilburn have raised a string of safety concerns after a child was injured and squatters were later found in the building’s basement during an ongoing refurbishment, MyLondon reports.
The nursery on Granville Road moved back into the building in March 2025 after refurbishment linked to the redevelopment of the Granville and Carlton Community Centres. But a staff member told MyLondon that problems became clear soon after the return.
The worker, who asked not to be named, told MyLondon: “It is a lovely building, but it got run down over the years, and then it got run down again, so having a bit of a refurbishment sounded like a great idea. It was a lovely prospect, but the whole way it has been done has been shoddy.”
Child taken to A&E after fitting came loose
According to MyLondon, the staff member said a solid fibre board pelmet above a sliding door, attached with clips, fell and hit a three-year-old girl on the head. The employee said the child was taken to A&E and that staff reported the incident to the builders.
Children at the nursery are aged from six months to four years, MyLondon reported.
The staff member told MyLondon: “On and off people were living in there; there was a drug dealing operation out of the basement, people just coming up and down all day to get drugs, which is just wholly inappropriate for a nursery. It could be dangerous; we have had enormous hassle trying to get this sorted out.”
Basement and playground problems reported
MyLondon reported that staff later raised concerns after squatters got into the plant room in the basement earlier this year. The outlet said Brent Council removed them and connected them with outreach workers.
The report also said waste was left in the plant room for months and that staff were frustrated by delays to a specialist clean-up. Separately, part of the nursery playground was divided off for contractors working on Granville Road flats.
When that section was returned after the refurbishment, staff found small stones across the ground and said the area could not be used until it was cleared, according to MyLondon.
Brent Council says safety is top priority
Brent Council responded to the concerns in a statement carried by MyLondon. The council said it had been working closely with the nursery while construction continued on what it described as a complex site.
A Brent Council spokesperson said: “We appreciate the patience of staff and families at Granville Plus Nursery while construction work has continued on site, and we have worked closely with the nursery to address concerns as they have arisen on what is a particularly complex site.”
The spokesperson added that the safety and wellbeing of children and staff remained the council’s top priority and that work would continue with the nursery and developers to provide a safe environment.
