ALMOST half of the buildings being used as children’s centres in Wiltshire are to stop providing children’s centre services under new Wiltshire Council proposals.

The 13 buildings will free up space for the development of more childcare places ahead of government plans to extend free childcare.

Staff currently working within centres will be expected to deliver more support in the community, where a number of children's centre services are already provided.

It is proposed that the children’s centre building in Marlborough will no longer provide any services for young children.

The current £4m budget for children’s centres is being cut by 10 per cent.

Laura Mayes, cabinet member for children’s services, said: “We already know delivering these key services is not about the buildings but about the teams and partnership working and we already have good examples of successful services being delivered in different venues including libraries and village halls.

“When we asked both professionals and parents they said the most important thing is partnership working and that they have support when they need it.

“We’re now looking at a fresh approach to delivering these key services by going out more into the heart of the community and we’d like to hear from people on these proposals.

“We are committed to providing our children and families with the right care and support and we understand having involvement with families from the very beginning is extremely important.”

From July 2016, children’s centre staff will be based in one of 15 key buildings in four geographical clusters (North, East, South and West Wiltshire).

The decision on which children’s centre buildings will continue operating as they are will be based on the area’s level of deprivation, the number of children aged under five, the suitability of current buildings services and the potential to expand childcare provision.

Well used children’s centres in areas of higher deprivation are likely to remain.

The review comes as contracts for the four current providers, 4 Children, Barnardo’s, Spurgeons and The Rise Trust, come to an end in June 2016.

Wiltshire Council has launched a consultation to allow communities to have their say on how support and advice for children in their early years is delivered as part of a wider review of children’s centre services.

The consultation will run until November 6 and a decision about the future delivery of children’s centre services will be taken by Wiltshire Council Cabinet in November 2015.

People can make their views known on the consultation document and can contribute to the consultation by going to

http://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/wiltshirechildrenscentressurvey.htm