Crèches given three-month reprieve from closure plans

Controversial plans to close six creches at sports centres in Leeds have been put on hold for a further three months.

Council leaders took the decision following pressure from councillors and parents who use the services.

Earlier this year the council said it needed to save money because of Government cuts and that closing the six crches would save 60,000 a year.

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The council said taxpayers were paying more than 10 per visit to subsidise the service.

Crche users argued that they spent money on services at the leisure centres which they might not be using in the absence of the creches.

The three-month stay of execution will allow discussions to take place over their future and could result in crches being run by parents themselves.

A council spokesman said the extension gave more time for talks to continue between the council's leisure and early years departments as well as for current users and various stakeholders to explore possible alternative options for "financially viable and sustainable crche provision".

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The council's deputy executive member for leisure, Coun Lisa Mulherin, said the six crches – which are located at East Leeds, Kippax, Rothwell, Aireborough, Pudsey and Scott Hall leisure centres – would now remain open until February next year.

Coun Mulherin said: "The talks we have held with parents using the existing crches and our early years colleagues have been very positive and some good ideas have been put forward in terms of alternative crche provision.

"We have chosen to keep the crches open to allow us more time to develop those possible options further."

Executive member for children's services, Coun Judith Blake, said: "From our initial discussions with our contacts in the industry there have been some positives possibilities put forward so we can develop those discussions between now and February to see just what is feasible for providing crche facilities in these leisure centres."

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Elizabeth Kitching, who is campaigning for the crche at the Scott Hall leisure centre to remain open, said: "We are challenging the authority over the 'health for all' and 'every child matters' principles."