Provision
Confusion over centre funding at council meeting
A council meeting to discuss plans to restructure children's centres in the London borough of Hammersmith and Fulham descended into confusion last week, as councillors appeared to back down on planned cuts (News, 13 January).
Angry protesters gathered outside Hammersmith Town Hall ahead of the council cabinet meeting to discuss plans to reorganise the local authority's 15 children's centres into six 'hubs'.
The council said that although it did not want to close any centres, it was 'highly unlikely' that funding for all of them would be able to continue.
Conservative councillor Helen Binmore told the meeting that no decisions had been made about funding for children's services. She confirmed that the council still needed to cut £3.2m from the children's services budget.
A council spokesperson 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.
