Kids Planet Day Nurseries has bought Perfect Start Day Nurseries, a group of eight settings in Sussex, Surrey and Kent.

The deal, which was brokered by specialist business property adviser Christie & Co, brings Kids Planet’s portfolio to more than 233 settings across the UK.

Leasehold group Perfect Start was founded by Paul Clarke, Michelle Richardson, and Paul Evans in 2018, and has an annual fee income of around £14 million.

The eight settings are located in in Burgess Hill, Cobham, Farnham, Haywards Heath, Horsham, Sevenoaks, Walton-on-Thames, and Weybridge.

Paul Clarke, Michelle Richardson and Paul Evans, former owners of Perfect Start, said: “We are very proud of what we have achieved with the team, and this is an excellent opportunity for Kids Planet to get a foothold into these ideal locations. We would like to wish them, the parents, the children, and all the staff the very best for the next step on this exciting journey.”

Clare Roberts, chief executive at Kids Planet Day Nurseries, said, “We are excited to welcome Perfect Start into the Kids Planet family, and take our first step into the home counties. Perfect Start is a group of eight fantastic settings operating from thoughtfully converted premises. We look forward to supporting the teams in providing the highest quality of childcare to their local communities.”

Nick Brown, director & head of brokerage – childcare & education at Christie & Co, said: “This is a fantastic deal on two fronts. Firstly, in 2016, I had the pleasure of dealing with Paul, Michelle and Paul Evans when we sold the Positive Steps Nursery Group which, at the time, was a market-setting deal. Since then, they have created another fantastic group of settings in superb, highly sought-after locations.”

He added: “My colleague, Sophie Willcox, and I are delighted to have advised and brokered the sale of Perfect Start to Kids Planet which will be their first notable venture into the South of the UK, and marks a milestone for them, creating further growth opportunities to springboard from.” Perfect Start was sold for an undisclosed price.