Falkirk councillors voted against the cost saving measures, including the transfer of 150 children from private nurseries to council-run settings – designed to help close a £27.9 million budget shortfall for 2025/6 – in favour of a 15.6% council tax hike.
Affected nurseries and parents attended the meeting to oppose the bid to transfer of three- and four- year-olds from 13 private, voluntary and independent (PVI) sector settings.
The SNP-run local authority had hoped to make early learning and childcare budget savings of £580,000 by diverting the children to its own settings that are running under capacity, while it funds PVI places. This option was associated with a 13.7% council tax increase.
Independent councillor Laura Murtagh, who introduced the winning amendment, raised concerns over the lack of consultation with children, young people and families and inadequate Equality and Poverty Impact Assessments (EPIA), which she said was “unsupportable, wrong and I believe very strongly putting us at huge risk of legal challenge”.
This was because the council “cannot confidently demonstrate compliance with the general and public sector equality duty” in six out of seven savings proposals, said Murtagh, Falkirk Council’s equality and human rights champion.
Murtagh told councillors: “If the impact assessment does not demonstrate an adequate assessment of impact, on what evidential basis are they included in our budgets?
“The lack of consultation, the fact that every one of the savings is from children’s services but there is not one peer amongst them, not one child or family consulted, not one service user consulted… as not an exception to the rule but in 86% of what is put forward today: where is the voice of the kids?… it’s nowhere.
“How can we mention our commitment to UNCRC (UN Convention on Rights of a Child) Article 12 – where children have the right not just to be consulted but to have their voice heard by decision-makers in matters which affect them….
“There is at least some evidence of consultation on council tax increases.”
The council proposal was fiercely opposed by Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, as well as early years sector body National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) Scotland, and parenting charity Pregnant Then Screwed.
Following the decision NDNA Scotland chief executive Purnima Tanuku praised member nurseries' work with other organisations on challenging the "rushed proposal".
“It is a testament to the nurseries and parents who voiced their opposition in the meeting and ahead of the debate that their views were heard loud and clear," said Tanuku, adding: “These nurseries are an integral and vital part of infrastructure in Scotland and must be allowed to continue delivering high quality early learning and childcare throughout the year."
Commenting on the funded 1140 hour offer in Scotland, she continued: “When we all work together to get this policy right communities see the benefits of tackling child poverty, boosting children’s early development and the economic returns from parents being able to work.”
