United front against proposed cuts to children’s centres

Newly-elected Matt Western (pictured right) has taken a lead on fighting the 30 per cent budget cut being planned for 2014/15 which comes on top of cuts already made to centres in Warwick district, most of them run by the charity Action for 
Children on behalf of the county.

Last Tuesday Cllr Western (Lab, Leamington Willes) was at the town hall where some 50 parents heard the three options being presented by council officers to salvage what they could of some 39 centres across the county.

The least favoured option was to close six of them, including Dale Street in Leamington and possibly another in Wellesbourne.

Other options involved offering the health advice, training and support only to “target families” in need rather than being freely available to all.

Cllr Western said: “This crisis situation has been brought about by a planned budget cut of 30 per cent in the next financial year against an overall cut of 15 per cent for the county as a whole.

Of the three options presented by officers, two include the closure of six centres, including one in Leamington.

“This is on top of a real budget cut of ten per cent last year and a likely cut of 20 per cent next year.

“It’s a choice being made by the Government and, in effect, forced on the county council.”