Parents fighting to keep a council-run nursery open held a protest outside Hove Town Hall and pleaded with councillors to think again.
Bright Start Nursery is slated for closure in Brighton and Hove City Council’s draft budget for 2023-24.
As a result, parents presented a petition to a meeting of the full council at Hove Town Hall yesterday (Thursday 15 December) and sent a deputation to address councillors.
More than 1,460 people signed the petition calling on the council not to close the nursery at the Old Slipper Baths, in Barrack Yard, North Road, Brighton.
The proposal would save £104,000, according to a report to the Policy and Resources Committee at the start of this month.
According to the budget report, the nursery building, which is close to the Prince Regent swimming pool, requires “significant” work – and there are 42 other nurseries within two miles.
Bright Start has places for 50 children from three months to four years old and employs 15 staff.
Suda Perera presented the petition and said that the level of support spoke to the importance of the nursery to parents in the city centre.
She said: “We strongly feel that the loss of Bright Start will do irreparable damage to the city – and solutions can be found to keep it open.
“We understand that you are facing an unprecedented shortfall in funding from the central government.
“We know that nobody wants to cut services and it’s not what you were elected to do. And we support your Give It Back campaign asking the government to return funding to the city council.
“However, we also feel more could be done to fight for our services. Cutting services before you’ve really exhausted campaigning to give it back sends a signal that you don’t think it’s going to work.”
A mother of two, Anneke Finer, led a deputation and said that closing the nursery would be “absolutely devastating” for the community of families.
She said: “Bright Start caters to more of the city’s most vulnerable people. And why is that? That is because our staff have specialist knowledge and training in dealing with vulnerable children, complex disabilities and medical and educational needs.”
Green councillor Hannah Allbrooke, who chairs the council’s Children, Young People and Skills Committee, said that Bright Start was an “incredibly valuable service”.
She said: “I know that Bright Start is amazing and fantastic and supportive. I know that it provides the support that families need. And I know this decision is very disappointing. Please believe me when I tell you that I really am sorry.
“I know that because I truly believe in the value of council-run, public services. They change communities and I personally care so much about our city’s children, young people and their wellbeing.
“The truth is – I don’t want to do this. I would be confident enough to say no councillor wants to do this.”
Councillor Allbrooke said that the council had an £18 million budget gap that it was required to balance in 2023-24 and had to make savings which would result in the loss of a “valuable public service”.
Labour councillor Jackie O’Quinn asked for a report to the next meeting of the Children, Young People and Skills Committee, detailing the reasons for closing the nursery and providing alternative options.
She said: “I feel this has been done very quickly and has not gone to (the Children, Young People and Skills Committee) – and we really need to scrutinise this decision.
“I’m not saying it won’t go forward. We need to have a look at why the building costs are so high. There are historic problems with the building. Obviously, there are some difficulties. We want to look at that.”
Councillor O’Quinn encouraged Bright Start parents to come to the committee meeting next month and ask more questions.
The next meeting of the Children, Young People and Skills Committee is due to start at 4pm on Monday 9 January at Hove Town Hall. The meeting is scheduled to be webcast on the council’s website.
The Green Council will apparently save a comparatively small £105,000 by closing this exemplary nursery – their own nursery! – depriving 15 staff of jobs and devastating the parents who use it.
Yet, despite the cry for budget cuts, it recently shelled out £500,000 for ugly cycle hangars, adding to unwanted residiential street furniture and cutting yet more parking space. And more are planned. They find the money all right for the vanity projects they want. Also don’t the council have several million stashed away in some climate change fund? And employ no less than 26 people as communication officers.
if Hannah Albrooke is so bothered about this how about listening to the parents and campaigners and doing something about it,.
Cynics may feel the council will sell off this prime slice of city centre real estate to make a few bucks.
Dont forget its local council elections in May and we will. not forget about decisions like this.
Greens out!