by Councillor Fay Howard The number of children placed on a council watchlist over fears they have suffered neglect has jumped by 75 per cent over four years. Figures released this month by the Council show that 112 children were the subject of a child protection plan last year over fears they have been neglected – up from 64 in 2013/14. Several years ago the Council agreed to close all of its Children’s Centres which we warned would be a mistake and would cut off support to young families…
The Conservative plan for the complete removal of funding from all but central library will be catastrophic for ALL libraries in Swindon, including West Swindon Library. Volunteers are fantastic but they simply cannot replace professional staff. We know this from what's happened to Walcot library, currently the only volunteer-run library in Swindon: Since the volunteers have taken over, the lending rate has plummeted from 14,000 items to only 4,000. I would hate to see the same thing happen to West…
The Council budget debate in February demonstrated just how far apart residents priorities and those of the Conservative administration now are. Despite receiving new money (over £800,000 for each of the next two years) from their own government, specifically aimed to mitigate cuts to front line services, Swindon is now the testing ground for just how far services can be cut and outsourced. All Children's Centres to go, all but the main Central library under threat, and other budgets for…
I believe that politics is about choices. The Tories locally have chosen to cut Children’s Centres, put local libraries under threat of closure and cut grass cutting and litter collections. They plan to place Lydiard Park, Coate Water and Stanton Park under commercial management. They want to introduce Parishes without giving people a vote on the idea. Rather than challenge the cut backs in Local Government they have meekly accepted the damaging reductions. Indeed they have enthusiastically set out to…
Conservative-run Swindon Council is proposing to close all of Swindon’s remaining Children’s Centres, having already reduced them in number from 12 to 5 since 2012. Children’s Centres support parents and help to provide our children with a secure future, providing services such as child and family health services; antenatal and postnatal care; breastfeeding support for parents; speech and language therapy for young children; and assistance for families with a child who has a disability. Swindon Council is believed to be…
The local elections are approaching fast, and give you a real choice between two competing visions for the town. The Conservative administration have set out their plans for Swindon, which includes outsourcing Lydiard Park, Coate Water and Stanton Park to the private sector, slashing the Library budget and leaving 14 out of our 15 libraries under threat of closure, and closing Children Centre's despite the essential job that they do in developing our children, supporting parents, and helping the Borough…
Following on from our letter at the beginning of the year, regarding them Council’s proposal to close the popular Euclid Street Children’s Nursery, I sadly have to report that Swindon Council have refused to keep the nursery open and continue to plan its closure. Led by Labour Eastcott Councillor Paul Dixon, Labour Councillors proposed an amendment to the Council Budget to keep the Children’s Nursery open. This was rejected by the Council's Conservatives. However, residents still have the chance to…
Liden, Eldene and Park South councillor, Fay Howard, delivered an impassioned plea to save Swindon’s five remaining Children’s Centres at the Swindon Full Council Meeting on the 25th February. The Tories had proposed to close all of Swindon’s Children’s Centres. The Labour Group presented a budget amendment to retain the funding to keep all of Swindon’s Children’s Centres open, however this was rejected by the majority Conservative Group. Children’s Centres support parents and help to provide our children with a…
Further Children's Centres in Swindon are set to close next year as the Conservative administration on Swindon Council proposes to close children’s centres located at Parks, Pinehurst, Gorse Hill, Moredon and Drove. Further Children's Centres in Swindon are set to close next year as the Conservative administration on Swindon Council proposes to close children’s centres located at Parks, Pinehurst, Gorse Hill, Moredon and Drove. During the last round of Children Centre closures, the Conservative administration had said these centres would be protected but now have broken their promise on the issue. The…
I will fight to bring back a full Children’s Centre Service across Swindon. Affordable childcare is vital for working parents. That’s why Labour will provide 25 hours free childcare each week for working families with three and four-year-old children. Working parents in Swindon face an uphill battle to meet the rising cost of childcare. Under the Tories, seven Sure Start children’s centres have closed in Swindon since 2010. There are now 370 fewer registered childcare places here, and the cost of a part-time nursery place in Swindon has soared by 40%. Labour will…
Mike has stood as your Labour candidate in Shaw before and offers a choice to move on from the record of the Conservative candidate, who had to resign from the post of mayor. Mike has stood as your Labour candidate in Shaw before and offers a choice to move on from the record of the Conservative candidate, who had to resign from the post of mayor. Mike says “I will respect and represent all Shaw residents and know from personal…
We have seen several Sure Start centres close under the Tories in Swindon in the last couple of years, and if we lost the few we have left under another 5 years of Conservative government I really don’t know how parents would manage. Over 1,200 Sure Start centres could go under in the next five years, thanks to the Tories’ extreme plans to cut spending in the next Parliament. Sure Start closures will hit working families already struggling under David…