COUNCILLORS agreed to push forward with plans to close the five remaining children centres on Wednesday night.

The move forms part of next year’s budget, which needs to save £20m and will now go before full council later this month.

It was first announced last year that all the centres would be closing and instead there would be more of a focus on home visits to reach vulnerable youngsters, which council chiefs say are not being helped by the centres.

Many opposed the move during a public consultation but the need to save money has meant it looks likely to go ahead.

At the cabinet meeting, the Rev Linda Fletcher handed over a petition with more than 570 signatures calling on the Parks and Walcot centre to be saved.

She said: “A lot of people who are not classed as vulnerable use the centres and it helps them. There have been parents in tears over this decision, worried about what support will be available.”

Should the budget get passed, notice on the centres will be given on April 1 and they will shut within six months.

To allow there to be some form of help for families when the centres were gone, a support worker was going to be hired for two years and would operate in the areas impacted by the closures.

However, during Wednesday’s cabinet meeting, it emerged the government has given Swindon £826,000 next year, which will be matched the year after.

A portion of this cash will go towards funding a further two posts for sessional workers to help families.

Speaking last week, Coun Fionuala Foley (Con, Chiseldon and Lawn) said: “I have looked at all the consultation responses and the overwhelming thing parents have said is they want somewhere to go to get advice, in confidence, from a professional.

“This is what the support workers will do. It will be a universal service for children up to three years old.”

Despite this, opponents have criticised the move saying it will leave many parents without much-needed help.

“The positive impact of children’s centres has been felt by a generation and will be gone all too soon,” said Coun Fay Howard (Lab, Liden Eldene and Park South) “The Conservatives continue to hit the most vulnerable, removing support at the time families need it most when children are very small and a parent is off work to care for their child.”