Renegotiating flexible hours

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This week my company has moved to new offices in a different part of town. I've realised that my new commute home just doesn't work - I missed a connecting train tonight and was late picking dd up from nursery. The nursery fined me because I arrived 5 minutes after closing time, which I can cope with, but the worst thing, of course, is having less of my precious time with dd in the evenings.
When I went back in January I negotiated shorter hours, and the routine has been working fine so far. But I clearly need to finish even earlier now so I can get my train. Does anyone know what the rules on renegotiating are? Surely I can say 'I didn't have a say in moving offices, so you'll have to accommodate me'? Not sure how to approach it tomorrow. Does anyone have any experience with this?
My immediate boss, by the way, doesn't have kids and isn't very sympathetic about such things. The company doesn't have an HR department at the moment but the director who is acting HR person does have kids so may be more amenable ? I'll probably go to her first, which will piss my boss off. Mind you, she can afford a nanny, unlike me!

When you applied before to reduce your hours did you fill in a flexible work application ? If you did, your company is only obliged to look at one flexible application per year.

What hours do you do at the moment ? Is there any way you could reduce your lunch break and do it that way ?

I would be very reluctant to go direct to HR as it would as you say piss your boss off. I also wouldn't recommend approaching it from a bullish angle.

If it were me I would put forward my case, if possible trying to do it by reducing lunch time if thats at all possible, but if it doesn't seem to go down well verbally I would put it on an email and copy in the director.

i hope it works out for you

Thanks - yep, I think I will go for a reduced lunch break ? am just worried that they won't go for that either, since I rarely take a lunch break anyway so it will still be like reducing my hours! Will go for softly-softly approach too, and you're probably right about approaching my boss first. She's generally really lovely, but just has a bit of a blind spot about childcare issues.

Eek about only being obliged to look at one flexible working application a year! Company isn't big or formal enough (it's publishing) to have an official form, but I did do it in writing so I guess that amounts to the same thing. Will just have to see how it goes. There are a few other working mums in the company in the same sort of boat, so I might convene a lunchtime chat tomorrow to discuss it...

Hopefully if they are a small firm they won't be au fait with all the legislation which can occasionally work in your favour.

Unlike our large company which has used all its extensive HR resource to make sure that all proposals are rejected or compromised severely in the companies favour, rather than expending the same energy to focus on creative solutions.

Hope it goes well for you.

You can only technically apply after a year from the date you put the last application in.

I wouldn't side step your line manager - I wouldn't like one of my staff to do that to me. If she has any influence it may not help your case.

you just need to put a case together and hope they say yes - what can you do to help? Can you come in earlier or do some work at home to make up for it - its about compromise.

Further news...

Don't know why I was worrying - they were absolutely fine about it! I happened to catch both boss and director in the same room at the same time, so just had an informal chat with them both. I'm doing a 3/4 hour lunchbreak, and leaving 15 mins earlier.

Two other mums in the company had to have the same conversation, and they were fine about all of us. Phew.

Thanks for replies!