Children's centre threatens to sue council over funding

Governors of the Longshaw Nursery School and Children’s Centre in Blackburn have voted, with the backing of parents, to sue Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council for £300,000 of funding it believes it is owed over four years.

Longshaw’s chair of governors Sean Rogers accused the local authority of treating the setting differently to other children’s centres in the area.??

“This year, 13 weeks after the new financial year for schools has begun, we’ve been told that we’re getting nothing,” said Rogers.

“There is no money in the council budget for us. We’re the only one out of 13 children’s centres where no money’s been provided. We think that’s illegal."

Rogers said the long-term under-resourcing has forced it to use revenue generated by fees from its nursery to fund the children’s centre.

He added: “We’re left with no choice but to take legal action and we’re looking to recover what we think we’re owed, which is in the region of £300,000 over the last four years.”