OVERJOYED staff and parents are celebrating after a council won back the cash to pay for an under-threat Canvey nursery.

There were worries Winter Gardens Pre-school could close when £800,000 for a much-needed new premises was withdrawn following a funding dispute between Essex County Council and the Department of Education.

But despair has turned to jubilation after the council revealed a large portion of the cash has now been secured.

Now, it is a race against time to ensure the building is completed before the deadline of April 1, 2011, when the money must be spent.

Mark Williams, chairman of governors for Winter Gardens Junior School, in Hilton Road, Canvey, where the nursery is based, said: “We’re over the moon.

“It’s like a weight has been lifted off our shoulders, but there’s still a lot of hard work ahead.

“A lot of people have worked extremely hard to make this happen. I’d like to particularly thank councillor Ray Howard, who has worked tirelessly on our behalf.”

With planning permission secured and bulldozers on site, work was halted in July when the Department for Education clawed back all uncommitted money from Essex County Council’s Early Years Capital Grant.

However, the authority has convinced civil servants the money was already committed and now most of the cash has been released.

Mark Williams, headteacher of Winter Gardens Junior School, said: “We’ve not been told exactly how much yet, but I can assure parents almost all of the original plans will take place.

“The only difference is likely to be the height of the building.

“We will do all we can to make sure the project is finished on time, we’re just praying there’s not too much snow this winter.”

A revised planning application must now be considered by Castle Point Council, with work set to start as soon as it has been approved.

The new building will replace the temporary classroom in which the the pre-school had been based.

Ray Howard, Essex County Councillor for Canvey West said: “I’m absolutely delighted common sense prevailed.

“There are a lot of youngsters involved and this area has a very high number of single-parent families. This pre-school is absolutely vital.”