Children's centre to sue local authority

Governors and parents of children at the Longshaw Nursery School and Children’s Centre in Blackburn are finalising documents with lawyers that claim Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council underfunded the service by £330,000 over four years.

The decision follows the council's confirmation that it will remodel the services provided by 13 local children’s centres to save £893,000 over the next two years.

Longshaw is one of five local children’s centres that will be turned into "spokes" of eight "hub" children’s centres – a move that will see their services reduced and their status as designated children's centres removed.

As well as seeking compensation, Longshaw is also set to challenge the local authority’s plans through a judicial review on the grounds that the council made them without appropriate consultation.

Longshaw’s chair of governors Sean Rogers said he was confident the centre had a good case.

“We think the council’s consultation process was really flawed and we’re confident that won’t stand up,” he said.

“The council is now trying to wriggle out of the situation by making out we weren’t part of the consultation – that it was only for centres that were provided centrally by the council.

“But we’re part of council provision – we’re a maintained children’s centre and that distinction has never been made before.”

Rogers said the council had treated the children’s centre differently from others in the area.