Rotherham proposes significant children's centre closures

The authority is consulting on plans to close 13 of its 22 children’s centres.

The council then wants to reduce the district’s children’s centres further and plans to merge the remaining nine into a cluster of seven centres.

The proposals have been put forward in an attempt to reduce the authority’s early years and childcare service from £5m to £2.2m by 2016.

Councillor Paul Larkin, cabinet member for children and young people’s services, said financial pressures forced the council into making the decision to close the centres.

He said: “Our children’s centres play a vital role but the truth is, thanks to government cuts, we simply have no option but to reduce the service.

“We appreciate this will have an impact on the quality and quantity of service on offer, but we believe that providing seven centres is better than no service at all.

“On average 9,000 children access the children’s centres every year so we will also do all we can to help make the changes as easy as possible, particularly for those who are vulnerable.”

Rotherham MP Sarah Champion is campaigning against the cuts.

She said: “Rotherham has suffered greatly during the recent economic downturn and from government cuts to local funding, especially in our early years services with the proposed closures of 13 of our children’s centres.

“I have been speaking to some of the people that have been hit hardest by these continual government cuts.

“Their passion for Sure Start is testament to what these services bring to our communities – they’re determined to save our Sure Start and I’m determined to help them."

The centres earmarked for closure under the plans are: