Hackney Council in east London has confirmed it has no plans to close any children’s centres during the current academic year, following a legal challenge that halted earlier closure proposals. The council was forced to drop its plans to shut Fernbank and Sebright children’s centres in Stoke Newington and Haggerston after a High Court challenge found the consultation process unlawful, citing a lack of clarity and failure to explore alternative options fully.

The legal action, brought forward by parents and campaigners under the banner "Save Hackney’s Children’s Centres," challenged the council’s decision to close two centres as part of a plan to save £4 million from its early years budget amidst significant financial pressures and alleged insufficient government funding. Solicitors representing the campaign argued that the closures would have resulted in the loss of one in four subsidised nursery places in the borough, a claim the council denied. The council eventually conceded that its consultation, conducted between January and April 2024, was not clear enough and therefore unlawful, leading to the withdrawal of the case ahead of a High Court hearing scheduled for November 2024.

Following the legal victory, Hackney Council carried out an internal review to identify lessons from the consultation missteps. The findings were presented to the Children and Young People Scrutiny Commission, revealing that the council saw the episode as a "perfect storm of events" rather than a single point of failure. Officers recommended enhanced practices for future consultations, especially on contentious issues, including seeking independent support, ensuring clearer communication to the public, and engaging more with staff to improve transparency. However, some parents expressed scepticism about whether these recommendations would translate into genuine changes, with campaigners highlighting a persistent breakdown in trust due to the handling of the process and the council’s decision to exempt an independent review from public scrutiny.

Beatrice Hackett, a parent involved in the campaign, described meetings with council officials during the consultation period as "demeaning and aggressive," and criticised the council for what families perceived as a predetermined outcome. There were calls for the council to commit to not closing or cutting early years services in the future, though the council has warned that serious financial challenges remain, with a £50 million budget shortfall that may force difficult decisions ahead.

Hackney Council’s Director of Education and Inclusion, Jason Marantz, emphasised that there are no "hard plans" for centre closures this academic year, signalling a period of reflection and more careful planning based on available data. At the same time, other council officers indicated that consultation on the future of children’s centres would occur at some point in the future, suggesting that the debate over these vital services is far from over.

The saga has brought to light important issues around local government decision-making, transparency, and community engagement, especially in areas critical to young families. While current commitments offer temporary reprieve, the broader financial pressures on Hackney and similar councils across the UK mean that the stability and accessibility of early years services will likely remain a contentious and closely watched issue.

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Source: Noah Wire Services