Around 50 mothers made the journey to London on Monday in a bid to persuade the Government to reinstate the ring-fence around Sure Start funding. Hampshire County Council was forced to extend a consultation on its proposals to reorganise its children's centres from mid-March until last Friday, after criticism from residents on how it handled the consultation process (News, 24 March).
The council wants to cut the number of 'individually managed' children's centres from 81 to 53 and merge or privatise the others.
Councillor Roy Perry, Hampshire's executive lead member for children's centres, was reported by local newspapers as saying that the 22,000 signature petition represented 'a tiny percentage of the population', and that the parents' campaign was misrepresenting the proposals.
Kate Reynolds of the Save our Children's Centres Hampshire group said that Mr Perry's response had led the group to conclude that getting central Government to reinstate the ring fence for Sure Start funding is their only chance to stop the council from going ahead with its plans.
The consultation may also be subject to a legal challenge from parents who say it is a sham because the funding cuts were approved in February as part of the council's budget (News, 30 March).
Leigh Day & Co Solicitors wrote to the council on behalf of a parent in March to challenge the decision making process, saying that the council appeared to have made the decision to close the centres before launching the consultation.
A council spokesperson said it had responded to the solicitors and refuted the challenge that the consultation is unlawful.
