Provision
London council to consult on plans to cut children's centre funding
A council meeting to discuss plans to restructure children's centres in the west London borough of Hammersmith and Fulham descended into confusion on Monday night, as councillors appeared to back down on planned cuts.
Protesters lobby the council against Sure Start cuts PHOTO: Chris Underwood
Angry protesters gathered outside Hammersmith Town Hall, ahead of the council cabinet meeting on proposals to reorganise the local authority’s 15 children’s centres into six ‘hubs’.
Shadow children’s minister, Sharon Hodgson MP, addressed the rally, which was also attended by Labour MP for Hammersmith, Andy Slaughter.
In a council paper published ahead of the meeting, the council said that although they did not want to close any children’s centres, it was ‘highly unlikely' that they would be able to continue to fund all of the centres, in light of proposals to cut £6.95m from the children’s services budget.
The document also states that 50 jobs are expected to be lost.
However, during the meeting, Conservative councillor Helen Binmore said that no decisions had been made about funding for children’s services and that a consultation would now take place.
She also confirmed that the council still needed to cut £3.2m from the children’s services budget.
A spokesperson for Hammersmith and Fulham Council said that it was ‘maintaining 15 centres and opening another centre’, and that a consultation on the proposals to re-organise children’s centres would now be held. The date and timescale for the consultation have not yet been announced.
A full council meeting will take place on 23 February to approve the council’s departmental budgets.
- Read Chris Underwood's blog on the council meeting here.
