All council-run nurseries in Hillingdon to close

Uxbridge Early Years Centre, Nestles Avenue Early Years Centre and South Ruislip Early Years Centre, based in Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Uxbridge and South Ruislip constituency, have been slated for closure at the end of December. Together they employ 29 members of staff without their settings.

Hillingdon Council cited declining birth rates and taxpayer costs of over £532,000 a year for the closures. A spokesperson said the council would provide support for affected staff, many of whom have been working at the centres for over a decade.

The council used ‘special urgency’ powers to close the three settings, which opposition councillors said allowed the scrutiny process to be avoided.

Opposition Labour leader and Hayes Town ward councillor Peter Curling said, ‘The council’s decision to close all three council-run early years centres in Hillingdon is something that has come out of the blue, and pushed through by the use of emergency powers that avoid the scrutiny process. It seems to have been a decision made purely on a financial savings drive, with the council refusing to enter into consultation with parents and staff on the future of the centres.

‘During the local election campaign, we highlighted the financial mismanagement of the Conservative administration, who run up a £38million deficit of the SEND budget and sought a government bail-out. The fact that these early years centres are closing because of a £500,000 deficit, is further proof of the financial mismanagement of Hillingdon’s Conservative administration.’

Mr Curling has written an open letter to the leader of the council and the council’s cabinet member for children, families and education asking that they halt the closures and enter into discussions with the parents and staff.

He added, ‘The Labour group are fully supportive of the parents and their campaign, and we will do whatever we can to help them keep the centres open.’

Hillingdon Council said, ‘Following considerable deliberation we have made the difficult decision to close our three early years centres at the end of December.

‘Despite trying different ways to keep the service sustainable and in the context of declining birth rates, unfortunately the centres continue to be financially inviable, costing council taxpayers more than £532,000 a year in subsidy.

‘The council’s provision represents only one per cent of the capacity in Hillingdon and demand can easily be met locally by other providers.

‘Financial pressures caused by current rising inflation have forced the council – like all local authorities - to look at where efficiencies can be made.

‘The closures will allow us to fund enhanced and more targeted family services.

‘We know this announcement will be an unwelcome surprise to those affected. We will actively support children and families to find and move to an alternative provider as we phase out the service in the next few months. We will also provide support for affected staff.’

'The closures will reduce choice and access for families and pile substantial additional costs on parents.'

Orest Bakhovski, parent of a three-year-old attending Uxbridge Early Years Centre, and an eight-month-old who had been due to start there in November, said the nurseries had been a lifeline for many families during the pandemic.

‘Our nurseries were the only ones open during the peak of the pandemic so that key workers could carry on supporting the country. Their skills, commitment and care provided to all the children should be celebrated. Additionally, the closures will reduce choice and access for families and pile substantial additional costs on parents at a time when the cost-of-living crisis is putting household finances under acute pressure.’

Mr Bakhovski said parents had been left without help from either the council or Mr Johnson.

‘Support has been non-existent. Boris Johnson is my MP, a number of us have reached out to him but we’ve had no response whatsoever. Opposition MPs in the area have been supportive but are limited in what they can do given they are not in power.

‘The council has handled the situation appallingly. The support that affected parents have received to find new places has been very mixed. The council is using emergency powers to push through the closure so that the decision is not delayed by a scrutiny process.

‘No real alternatives have been explored to find a way to keep the centres open. Nor does the council seem to have made any tangible effort to find alternative ways to address its budget deficit. Additionally, the treatment of nursery staff seems shocking, particularly when you consider the average tenure for staff is over 10 years. Choosing to save cash by prioritising nursery closures feels like rank hypocrisy.’