At a meeting of the council's cabinet on Wednesday (31 October), the executive mayor John Biggs said he could not 'justify picking up the cost of the nurseries given the financial challenge facing schools'.
Parent campaigners have vowed to continue their fight to keep the nurseries open.
The mayor's decision follows the endorsement of a ‘call-in’ by the council’s overview and scrutiny committee, signed by five Labour councillors questioning the executive mayor’s decision to close Overland nursery in Bow, which provides specialist support for children with deafness and autism, the John Smith nursery in Whitechapel, and the Mary Sambrook nursery in Shadwell.
The endorsement of the call-in meant the decision to close the three nurseries was considered by the council’s legal and monitoring officers. They however found that the plans to close the settings did not not contravene the council's policy framework.
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