Southend Labour Party

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Labour fears for future of local children’s centres

The Council has launched a consultation today on children's centres, in which it proposes to close Cockleshells at the Adult Community College and Little Treasures at Electric Avenue and move the provision to other centres.

Summercourt, Cambridge Road and Centre Place will still be open but under the management of Family Action from Cambridge Road. Hamstel will stay open but will be managed from Temple Sutton.

Children's centres are meant to be easily accessible by the local community and meet the unique needs of each locality. Southend Labour Party fears the proposed changes will jeopardise that aim. There will also be job losses for some of the employees of the centres being closed.

Westborough Labour candidate Kevin Robinson said, "Children's centres like Little Treasures serve a vital function especially in urban areas like this in Westborough. They provide a way of putting services for youngsters right amongst the people who actually use them. There is already a lack of community facilities in this area and this closure if it goes ahead would really affect families on a day to day basis."