North Yorkshire Council is set to consult on closing a Sure Start children’s centre in Skipton that was set up with almost £3m of government funding.
Sure Start was a flagship policy of Tony Blair’s Labour government and was launched to improve children’s life chances, with local authority-controlled centres set up to support families with children under five.
Skipton’s children’s centre is located within Skipton Parish Church of England Primary School on Brougham Street.
The council said since the covid pandemic began almost five years ago, many of its support services for parents and children have moved online.
A spokesperson added this has reduced the need for physical premises and has led to more people being able to access services.
North Craven Sure Start children’s centre in Hellifield will also close under the plans.
Last year, the council agreed to deregister a Sure Start children’s centre in Glusburn as part of cost-cutting measures.
The spokesperson also said deregistering the buildings as children’s centres will allow “much greater flexibility” for future uses of the spaces which could generate income for the authority and save money on bills.
The sites in Skipton and Hellifield are included on a list of 18 remaining Sure Start centres across North Yorkshire that are set to close.
A 28-day public consultation is set to begin at the end of August if approved by the council’s Conservative executive members for education tomorrow (August 20)
A report will then go before the executive in October before a final decision is made.
Since the Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government and the introduction of austerity measures, more than 1,000 Sure Start centres have closed.
North Yorkshire Council and the former county council have already closed 18 children’s centres. These were set up with a total Sure Start government investment of £4.9m which it was not required to pay back.
UNISON’s head of local government Mike Short said the closure of children’s centres is hitting the region’s most vulnerable families.
He said:
“Cuts to these crucial services merely create more problems and costs for the future. Ministers and council leaders should invest in children’s centres as part of wider plans to stabilise council finances and provide a boost to parents and youngsters.”
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