Melksham to lose one of its children’s centres

ALL services at King’s Park Children’s Centre will be moved to the Canberra centre as part of Wiltshire Council’s cuts to children’s centres.

Following a public consultation, Wiltshire Council  has approved the closure of 13 of its 30 children’s centres across the county.

King’s Park Children’s Centre in Melksham will be closed, with services moving to Canberra Children’s Centre on Spa Road.

It is recommended that the building should be used by River Mead Academy for delivery of family support and school services.

During the consultation it was noted that parents in the area feel that King’s Park Children’s Centre is not well used and the school could work more with the children’s centre services.

However Wiltshire’s Liberal Democrats reacted with shock at the decision to close children’s centres.

Liberal Democrat and young people spokesperson cllr Jon Hubbard said, “This is a disastrous decision to close buildings and services across the county.

“We accept that cuts need to be made, but this decision will destroy the universality of the children’s service and make it much harder for struggling parents to find the services they need to help them become good parents.”

Laura Mayes, Wiltshire Council cabinet member for children’s centre services said, “I’m grateful to all the people who have taken time to be part of this consultation. These are not easy decisions to make, but our focus has to always be on ensuring we provide the best early years support possible for children with the funding we have.

“I believe these latest proposals, shaped with feedback from the communities, will mean we can continue to invest in our key staff and provide that vital support to ensure the money spent has the greatest positive impact on young children’s development.”