SWINDON Council is set to push ahead with plans to close more than half of the town’s children’s centres.

Earlier this year, it was announced that seven centres were to be closed in a bid to save almost £800,000.

A public consultation was carried out, with nearly 2,000 people responding to voice their opposition to the plans, with two petitions against closures also handed over.

In response, the council has announced that while the centres will still be decommissioned, a one-off fund of £194,000 will be established to provide support to vulnerable families.

Around £50,000 of the money will be used to set a family support service in Highworth and Stratton for two years aimed at youngsters under four.

The rest of the cash will set up a town wide support service targeting children under three who are most vulnerable and do not have access to one of the remaining children’s centres.

The centres set to be decommissioned are Eldene, Croft, Butterflies, Ladybird, Saltway, Robert le Kyng and West Swindon.

Butterflies and West Swindon will be replaced with multi-generational centres, which will operate on two thirds of the funding but will be free to raise funds themselves. The proposal will go before the council’s cabinet next Wednesday and, if approved, the changes will come into effect by the end of March next year.

Council leaders say the move is necessary as they need to find savings of £50m over the next couple of years.

Five other centres, which serve the highest number of vulnerable children, will not affected by the cuts, and are being ring-fenced by Cabinet Member for Children’s Services Councillor Fionuala Foley (Con, Chiseldon and Lawn).

She said: “These cuts are not unique and are taking place all over the country – only other authorities are closing all their centres.

“What is unique about Swindon is that we are looking at ideas for the multi-generational centres.

“I have been very encouraged by the response to the consultation which a lot of people have said they would be prepared to volunteer to provide services.

“With money tight across the country, working more in the community is the way forward and I will be instructing officers to help people with this.

“I have said all along that the most vulnerable children will be protected.

“People have said to me that closing these seven will lead to an extra burden on other social care services, but of the 626 children referred to social care, only 39 were referred from children’s centres.

“I have listened to what has been said in the consultation, which is why this one-off fund has been set up.”

However, opposition councillors have said the extra funds will not cover for the loss of services provided by the closed centres.

Coun Cindy Matthews (Lydiard and Freshbrook) said: “I think it’s better than nothing but it isn’t going to be nearly enough. The money will only cover a few positions, which is certainly not enough for the seven centres.

“The idea of a multi-generational centre has left a lot of people confused. Some even had to Google it to find out.

“In the consultation people were asked about them but how can they give an opinion when there are so few details.?

“Our worries remain the same that the amount of money being saved does not justify the closures.”

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