'How we would save children's centres' - Brighton and Hove City Councillors have their say

Green leaders are arguing that a “modest” 5.9% council tax increase is the only alternative to cutting essential services, but opposition councillors have rubbished the claims, saying money could be saved in other ways.

Green councillor Ollie Sykes, the lead member for finance, said residents in band D properties would have to pay an extra £1.55 a week more to maintain the services The Argus has called the council to protect in the Save Our Centres campaign.

For households in that price bracket it equates to £80 more a year – which coun Sykes likened to buying “one less coffee or one less grapefruit a week.”

Fellow councillor Ruth Buckley, who represents Goldsmid, described it as similar to the cost of two first class stamps.

Councillor Sue Shanks, the chairman of the children and young people committee, said the council had limited options and the current council tax system was unfair and imbalanced.

In an interview with The Argus the trio said they had no choice but to opt for the hike or forfeit services when it hopes to set the budget at the end of the month. They blamed harsh government funding cuts to local authorities have forced them to make tough decisions.

It comes as a public consultation launched by Brighton and Hove City Council over plans to cut back on children’s centre services received nearly 1,000 responses.

The councilreceived 317 responses by January 26, a month after the survey opened but since The Argus launched the Save Our Centres campaign on January 28, the figure tripled to around 900 before closing on Monday. 

Coun Sykes, who represents Brunswick and Adelaide, where a children’s centre is at risk, said: “What is being underplayed is the number of big national, external bodies, such as the Local Government Association, which are saying councils are under pressure like never before with budgets being cut by 55%. Councils are on the brink of collapse with £70 million of cuts in the past four years and another £100 million in the next five years – and this is where services are delivered. We need to push back against central government and demand the cutbacks are stopped.

“Most of these services could be protected with a modest council tax rise of 5.9%, which is far lower than previous rises. This will obviously have to go to a referendum but there is a clear message coming from our budget consultation that people are prepared this year more than the last to pay more for council services.”

Coun Buckley, a mother who said she has used children’s centres before, said she understands the concerns of parents but wanted them to know where the financial pressures were coming from.

Coun Shanks, a mother-of-three who has a masters in education, said: “This is not in our plan and we do not want to make cuts. This is the first time we as a council have looked at children’s centre services to make savings.

“The council officers have done the best they could. Children’s services is a huge budget and we have to take some money out of it. Some services such as health drop-ins will still be available for parents at all the children’s centres so they will not be closing.

“We have also looked at usage and for example there are 3,000 babies in the city but only 200 children under the age of one are attending the first groups mothers can visit. We also know the majority of uses are for health visiting.”

Coun Shanks said she supports universal services but when budgets need to be set children who are most in need have to be prioritised and added: “Sometimes targeted services are more effective or helpful to parents.”

She dismissed claims the council could cut down on its own costs instead of reducing services.

She said: “The council has become incredibly lean. We are moving out of King’s House, we have closed buildings. We have been through as much as we can do but services require people, and people require paying. People like social workers need a manager to report to. There is a logic as to how much can be cut and it is still expected that a service can come out of it.”

She said any money saving ideas were welcome.

Leigh Farrow

UK INDEPENDENCE PARTY

COUNCILLOR Leigh Farrow, who represents Moulsecoomb and Bevendean, used to sit on Ealing Borough Council and said it was an example of an “efficient” and “prudent” authority which managed its spending.

He said: “Nothing has been done to re-organise the council although the government has been making swingeing cuts. I love this city and don’t want to see it damaged but I worry that these cuts, and some complete removal of some services, will unfortunately go through.

“The council is top heavy and funding essential front line services is more important, we need a complete re-organisation of the council and we need to look at the priorities. It is almost an impossible situation and this has been made worse by the Government imposing four times the amounts of cuts on local councils as on its own departments.

“The financial pressure is ridiculous but we still need to have an efficient authority and I don’t think we have one at this stage.”

Warren Morgan

LABOUR

COUNCILLOR Warren Morgan, leader of the Labour and Co-operative Group, said members are still awaiting the final budget proposals and until that point they cannot be sure exactly what the Green administration is proposing. He said until then it is “impossible” to say what other options are available.

He said: “We are clearly faced with significant cuts of some £23 million in funding from the Government this year, with similar cuts following next year. The Greens have chosen to cut children’s centres and we do not support that – children’s centres were one of the great achievements of the Labour government.

“We are the smallest group on the council so we would need the support of the Conservatives for any amendment to the Green budget to succeed, and they have said they want further cuts in order to freeze council tax.

“I still hope the Green group will have a change of heart and not impose these cuts on these important family services.

“What matters isn’t the buildings but the service they provide. They haven’t been ‘saved’ if they are only open a few hours for limited services.”

He said each neighbourhood should have somewhere, like a library or a children’s centre, where people could easily access services.

Ben Duncan

INDEPENDENT

COUNCILLOR Ben Duncan, who represents Queen’s Park, said: “I oppose all the proposed cuts. I believe the council should look at selling some of its assets, borrowing money, paying its senior managers a bit less, employing fewer of them, and not doing ridiculous things with its money. Why invest in the i360 or spend £100 million renovating the seafront, for example. It could spend £99 million on the seafront and use £1 million to fully fund all our children’s centres. Ultimately, we have to decide whether the health and wellbeing of our city’s children is more important to the council than boosting tourism. I think most residents would prefer the council’s priority to be protecting children. The council should be defending the people of Brighton and Hove from the Government’s austerity programme by passing on service cuts. After all, that’s what it was elected to do.”

He said the council needs to refuse to co-operate with the Government in the wake of financial pressures to negotiate a better deal for the city. He said: “The council hasn’t really tried to play ‘hardball’ with the Government, so we just don’t know what the response would be. The Greens promised to resist the cuts to the greatest extent possible - that’s one of the reasons people voted for them - but they haven't really done that at all.”

Geoffrey Theobald

CONSERVATIVE

COUNCILLOR Geoffrey Theobald, the leader of the Conservatives, said the council could still scrutinise its internal costs instead of cutting back on services.  
Coun Theobald, who represents Patcham, where a children’s centre is at risk, said: “Auditors still say our services are expensive in comparison with other comparable councils. We need to look at how many managers we have and other costs we have not been prepared to look at. They are the people we should be looking at first. People just want the services, they aren’t necessarily worried who runs them.
“We need to fundamentally review the way the whole council operates. This is what other councils are doing.
“Working with children is something we thoroughly support. I don’t want to see any of the parents and children who are using these services not being able to do so.
“We are playing around the edges and this makes it hard to plan. I am increasingly exasperated with the situation and a lack of planning means we are confronted with a budget and these sorts of situations that we shouldn’t be dealing with at this late stage.
“The council has not involved the voluntary sector and not-for-profit organisations. There is a reluctance so things need to be done differently and something needs to change. We need to look at how the council operates and there needs to be a long term plan.”

The cuts in detail
COUNCIL officers are looking to hack back the number of children's centres from 12 to eight in a bid to save £779,000 in the 2015/16 financial year. The venues and related services cost £2,471,000 but the council wants to run them for £1,692,000.
The council says the proposals need to be considered in the context of severe cuts in the budget from the government. But if approved, tens of thousands of families would be affected.
The plans include: 
· Cutting the number of main centres from 12 to eight, by merging four. The centres at risk are City View Children's Centre in Elm Grove, Cornerstone Children's Centre in Church Road, the Hollingbury and Patcham site in County Oak Avenue, and West Hove centre in Portland Road. City View and Cornerstone could be merged into Tarner Children's Centre in Ivory Place. The Hollingbury and Patcham site could be merged into the Hollingdean centre in Brentwood Road. The West Hove centre could merge into Conway Court in Clarendon Road. Although the council insists the buildings would not be sold off and health services would still be available from them, their legal status as children's centres and the range of services available there would reduce seeing them effectively close. 
· Baby groups which meet each week in Moulsecoomb, Whitehawk, Coldean, Woodingdean and Rottingdean libraries, and in the Meadowview Community Centre, could be axed. The libraries themselves are not under threat.
· Early-years visitors, receptionists and service support managers are under consultation and the equivalent of 11.5 full-time posts could be axed.
· Funding to both voluntary groups the Early Childhood Project and the Brighton Unemployed Centre could be halved.
· The City View and Cornerstone advisory groups could merge into one at the Tarner centre, and the Hollingbury and Patcham group could be combined with the one at Hollingdean.
· The current 30 baby and toddler Stay and Play groups across the city could be slashed to 20.
· Drop-in baby and toddler groups, which are open to everyone, could be time limited, with appointments introduced.
· Parents with babies would only be able to attend an eight-week course and children under two may only be able to attend for a term.
· Home visits will be cut back by a third and parents will be encouraged to travel to a centre for a check-up instead. 

The Argus needs you - how to support the campaign 

1. Pledge your backing of the campaign by contacting senior reporter Flora Thompson at The Argus to express your views on 01273 544539 or email flora.thompson@theargus.co.uk.
2. Sign the change.org petition 'Stop the proposed cuts to children's services' online set up by parent group the Brighton Children's Centres Campaign by clicking here. Or sign in person at the Brighton People's Assembly Against Austerity group stall by the clock tower on the corner of West Street and North Street, on Saturday from 11am to 1pm. 
3. Join the parents in a peaceful protest on Thursday, February 26, ahead of Brighton and Hove City Council's budget meeting at 4.30pm where the future of the children's centres and related services will be determined. The meeting takes place in Brighton Town Hall, Bartholomew Square, Brighton.