Around 40 parents packed the public gallery at the Leicester City Council cabinet meeting, while nursery staff, parents and the nursery's founder Val Jones proposed saving it by forming a co-operative to buy and commission services such as staff, cleaning and catering from the city council. They said they would offer members of the public places at the nursery, which would be non-profitmaking, but rely on fees.
The Val Jones Centre in Leicester has been used exclusively by families working for the council since it opened 20 years ago. But the council decided that the 5,000 a month running costs of the 50-place nursery were too expensive to keep it open, and gave its staff and parents six weeks to come up with a business plan.
The protestors at the meeting had support from education spokeswoman Sue Waddington, who said the council should spend 8,000 a month to meet the current costs and draw up plans for the future.
'The nursery has a value in attracting and retaining good-quality staff,'
she said. 'It also has a value in that it provides excellent childcare and is a model for other providers in the city.'
However, one leading councillor said that 'their business plan just doesn't stack up'. After a debate, a motion to keep the nursery open was lost by just two votes, at 26-24.
Ms Jones vowed that the battle would go on. 'We believe there is a demand for quality nursery places for children whose parents work in this city,'
she said.
