PARENTS fear their childrens’ development will suffer after nearly £800,000 of cuts to children’s services were outlined.

Four children’s centres are under threat of closure as Brighton and Hove City Council plans to merge services and cut 12 main sites to eight.

The budget of £2,471,000 could slip to £1,692,000 in 2015 to 2016.

Children’s centres Hollingbury and Patcham, in County Oak Avenue, City View, in Elm Grove, Cornerstone, in Church Road, and West Hove, in Portland Road, could all close.

Centre staff jobs are also under threat and volunteer funding could be cut as part of the plans.

The council is proposing to merge Cornerstone and City View with Tarner children’s centre, in Ivory Place, combine Hollingbury and Patcham with the Hollingdean centre in Brentwood Road, and West Hove would have to join with Conway Court in Clarendon Road if the plan is adopted.

Advice groups could merge, while baby and toddler groups and the time families “without additional needs” can attend could be limited and booking systems introduced.

Parents with babies would have to attend an eight-week course instead of regular groups.

Groups in Moulsecoomb, Whitehawk, Coldean, Woodingdean and Rottingdean libraries and the Meadowview Community Centre would be stopped.

Funding for childcare places at playgroups and nurseries would be reduced, home visits cut back and parents told to attend centres for support instead.

Subsidies for nursery open hours, staffing and running costs could also come under threat early next year.

The council’s consultation report said: “Some families will need to travel further. We will continue to offer home visits to parents who need it most.”

Coral Huggett, 21, of Birchwood Grove Crescent, who has a one-year-old son Jaylen and eight-week-old daughter Natalia, said it would take her an hour to get to the other main centre if Hollingbury and Patcham closed.

She said: “I would have to take two buses. Jaylen loves it, he makes friends which is important for his development.

“I get to meet other mums who live nearby and I can get advice. I hope to take my daughter to a group there. It would be difficult to get to another centre further away.”

A 29-year-old neighbour, who has a four-year-old son who has also attended the same centre but asked not to be named, said: “The toddler groups are quite popular. They offer things like baby massage which is good. We also had home visits from a health visitor since he was born. But when the children hit the age of two most of the help stops and it's quite hard to get enough support. It would be good to keep the services nearby, but only if they are run effectively.”

Tim Maskell, a former Hollingbury resident, who has a three-year-old son and older daughters, said any closures would be bad news for the estates.

He said: “I didn’t use that centre but my daughters went to another which helped them to mix with children and it built their learning skills.”

Megan Martin, a paediatric nurse in Brighton, expressed shock at the news when she read it on The Argus website.

The council said the proposal must be seen in the context of rising costs and a cut of £100 million of government funding in the next four years.

A spokesman said: “The proposals aim to enable the council to deliver the best possible children’s centre services in future.

“They are part of a drive to focus council resources on services that will deliver the best outcomes for those families who need most help.”

In the summer the council considered introducing charges for children’s services but dropped the plan following a backlash.

A final decision will be made in a meeting on February 26.

To submit your views and read the report click here