Carbon neutral £4.4m nursery opens at Staffordshire University

The nursery is the first carbon neutral building at Staffordshire University

A carbon neutral £4.4m nursery has opened in Stoke-on-Trent.

Staffordshire University has opened the Woodlands Day Nursery and Forest School.

The new building won the Sustainability award at the West Midlands Insider Property Awards 2022.

"The facility brings a unique and authentic outdoor experience to children in a safe and enriching environment," said Amanda Sherratt, head of childcare and family services.

Its nursery, which is the university's first carbon neutral building, is set next to a woodland and nature reserve on the university's Leek Road site.

The university said the building had achieved carbon neutral status partly because of roof lights that are designed to flood the space with natural light to reduce the need for artificial lighting.

Sally McGill, from Staffordshire University, said the nursery supported the university's ambitions for a more sustainable future

It also has solar panels and air source heat pumps, which suck in outdoor air and pass it over tubes containing refrigerant fluids to produce heat.

Sally McGill, chief financial officer and executive lead for sustainability at the university, said the facility "supports the community and the next generation, through learning, teaching, and embedding the university's ambitions for a more sustainable future".