I am deeply disappointed that Swindon Borough Council proposes closing four Children’s Centres in all but name and using the buildings for alternative educational purposes. This is despite overwhelming support in the responses to the consultation for the original Labour vision of a Children’s Centre in every community.
I am deeply disappointed that Swindon Borough Council proposes closing four Children’s Centres in all but name and using the buildings for alternative educational purposes. This is despite overwhelming support in the responses to the consultation for the original Labour vision of a Children’s Centre in every community.
In South Swindon, the closure of Eldene Children’s Centre will hit the community very hard – no-one will be fooled by the weasel words in the Cabinet Papers which seek to disguise that services will be cut for the majority of local parents. The Eldene building will clearly not be used by the Children’s Society which currently runs the Children’s Centre, presumably they will be working out of their cars with no physical base in the area. How this allows open access to parents is a mystery.
It beggars belief that Croft Children’s Centre is closing after the extraordinary mismanagement of the building of the Croft primary school, making nonsense of the Council’s arguments for provision in that area.
I have spoken to more parents in the last few weeks than the number of responses to the council’s consultation, and not one parent was aware of the council’s plans to make cuts to Children’s Centres. The proposed closures is a cynical move following a consultation held during the peak holiday period for parents with children under five.
I call on Swindon Borough Council’s Conservative Cabinet to reject these proposals. This is about using existing resources wisely – Conservative Councillors should stop funding a car park no one wants and continue funding our highly valued Children’s Centres.