Temporary permission to open a day nursery could help relieve a shortfall of childcare places.

Applicant Sharon Ashworth wanted to use the ground floor of a property in Chesswood Road, Worthing, to care for a maximum of 24 children aged from two to five.

Worthing planners agreed she should be allowed to open the nursery for a year, subject to conditions. The move followed a council report which said demands for childcare were exceeding the number of nursery places in the town.

Ms Ashworth currently runs a preschool group at the Worthing Baptist Church and has to move premises.

A Worthing Borough Council report said: "The children's information service has received more than 47 calls in the past three months from parents inquiring about childcare for their children in the area.

"Eighteen per cent of these callers were unable to access childcare and were thereby having to rely on family and friends, use unregistered childcare, were not returning to work or giving up work.

"There are in excess of 648 children in the locality who could benefit from day care but only 440 registered places."