Suffolk plans to close almost a third of its children's centres
Fiona Simpson
Thursday, February 13, 2020
A county council is consulting on plans to close at least 11 children’s centres as part of a major overhaul of its early years provision.
Suffolk Council’s Children’s Centre Review details proposals to reduce the county’s 38 children’s centres to just 16 full-time family hubs.
The hubs could provide services available at current children’s centres as well as support for 0- to 19-year-olds, with a particular focus on vulnerable people, the review states.
Two children’s centres, Chatterbox in North Ipswich and Caterpillar in Woodbridge, could be closed completely after being deemed “not fit for purpose”.
A further nine sites are likely to be repurposed for school or nursery provision, the council says.
These include seven based in nurseries, the closure of which “could provide between 10-20 additional nursery places” at each site, the review states.
These are:
- Hardwick in Bury St Edmunds
- Cornfields in Great Cornard
- Cherry Blossom in East Bergholt
- Highfield in West Ipswich
- Meadows in Saxmundham
- Village Rise in North Lowestoft
- Uplands in Carlton Colville
Robins in Needham Market and Rendlesham in Rendlesham are also earmarked to be re-purposed. Both are within school sites “where there is high demand for additional places, the review adds.
The remaining 16 sites look set to become part-time family hubs offering some services, including midwifery, speech and language services and child health clinics, it states.
The plans, which are being consulted on until 1 March, have drawn widespread criticism with protests held over the planned cuts.
Jack Abbott, Suffolk Labour's spokesman for children's services and education, said: "These brutal Conservative plans would see a third of Suffolk's children's centres close entirely, whilst many more would see their opening hours reduced.
"This would represent one of the most devastating attacks on public services that we have seen in recent times, with closures taking place in every corner of Suffolk.
"We should be investing more in early years, not indiscriminately withdrawing the support that so many families desperately rely on."
Councillor Mary Evans, cabinet member for children's services, education and skills, said: “Given the range of social and cultural changes that we all continue to experience through the greater use of technology, the way our communities continue to develop and the way in which we choose to access services for our families, now is the right time to review the services the council provides for young people aged 0- to 19-years-old.
“To prepare for this consultation, we have taken a rigorous approach to review current services through surveys at each children's centre and research into what is happening across the country.”
Recent government figures show almost half (54) of 126 local authorities have seen the number of Sure Start centres in their areas reduce 50 per cent or more.
Department for Education figures show that In April 2010 there were 3,516 centres compared with 2,323 at the start of this year.
