Parents protest at planned changes to children's centres
Angry parents have launched a campaign to stop a children's centre from closing and another being taken over by a primary school.
Boney Hay Children's Centre in Burntwood has been earmarked for closure under cost-cutting plans by the county council.
Meanwhile, there are plans in place for Springhill Primary School to take over the running of Springhill Children's Centre, also in Burntwood.
It means the centre will remain open but the school, instead of the county council, will manage the facility.
But furious parents have launched a petition and hope bosses will listen to their concerns and reverse their decision over the two facilities.
More than 600 people have signed the petition in under a week.
Parent Esther Allen, who is one of the lead campaigners and takes her 13-month-old daughter Rosie Allen to Springhill, said: "I started this petition because I felt there was a lack of awareness in the local community over the council's plans to close the children's centres and I knew the people of Burntwood would back keeping these facilities open.
"Burntwood district provided the most responses of any area to the council's consultation, with the majority wishing to see the centres remain open.
"In spite of this, our views don't appear to have registered with the decision makers on the council."
Under Staffordshire County Council's plans, 43 children centres will be axed, with the loss of four workers, in a cost-cutting move to save £3 million.
Councillor Mike Lawrence, cabinet member for children and community, previously said the reorganisation of the service was necessary to reach families which needed the most support.
The council needs to cut £102 million from its budget over the next five years.
Speaking about Springhill Children's Centre, Councillor Lawrence said today: "We are not closing this centre, but proposing to transfer it to the management of the adjoining school, while the services the county council is responsible for will be delivered in the community.
"The point is that ensuring the best start for under-fives is not about supporting buildings but delivering services where they're needed in communities, so this new approach will focus our energy and resources on providing the right services, in the right place, for the right people."
District and county councillor Sue Woodward added: "I am devastated that, yet again, Burntwood and its residents are losing out."
