Bid to halt children's centre closures fails

The decision means 18 of the council-run centre's will shut

An attempt to prevent the closure of children's centres in Leeds has failed meaning 18 of them will shut as part of money saving measures.

Opposition councillors had challenged a plan to reduce the number of Leeds City Council-run centres to 31 under plans to save £2.45m.

However, the council's children and families scrutiny board agreed to back the closures at a meeting on Tuesday.

The Labour-run authority pointed out that Leeds would still have more children's centres than cities of a similar size.

Mark Dobson, of Garforth and Swillington Independents, led a "call-in" of the closure decision which could have seen it referred for re-consideration.

He claimed there were flaws in the consultation process and it was not clear how the cost savings would be achieved, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

He said he believed the closures were "pointless".

"All I would ask colleagues to consider is where are the actual savings?"

Dobson told the meeting: "I also believe we are under-estimating the use of the centres."

Helen Hayden, Labour's executive member for children and families, said family services would be retained in more suitable locations.

"Our children's centre offer matters deeply to families across Leeds. The consultation was robust, thorough and objective."

'Cutting overheads'

Council leaders said some of the centres were underused because of a falling birth rate.

Hayden said the savings would come from less overheads, management and a reduction in duplication - not from "cutting support available to families".

Leeds City Council must save more than £100m this financial year and was forecasting an overspend of almost £30m in its last financial report.

As part of the shake-up, the remaining 31 children centres would be organised into seven groups, aligned with the council's Family Hubs around the city.

Six centres not currently in use will be de-registered and more services will be provided online.

The centres set to close are:

Alwoodley

Ardsley/Tingley

Boston Spa

Burley Park

Castleton

Chapel Allerton

Cottingley

Farnley

Farsley and Calverley

Garforth

Gildersome

Headingley

Manor Wood

Parklands

Pudsey

Quarry Mount

Roundhay

Villages East

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