Parents' delight at U-turn over Dudley children's centres

Within days they rallied to fight the proposals through public protests and petitions, and held councillors to account at hastily arranged meetings throughout the borough.

Now councillors have climbed down over the proposals after being rocked by the weight of public pressure.

Dudley Council revealed that centres would not close for the 'foreseeable future' and will instead look at alternative ways to save £2.3 million from children's services budgets.

However, council leader Councillor David Sparks told the Express & Star there could be no promises about what will happen in the future.

Yet for the families of the 15,000-plus children who can access the centre, the news brought tears of joy as many had faced a bleak winter of campaigning.

Heather Cheslin, aged 36, of Birchfield Road, Wollescote, whose children Rowan, six, and Marley, one, go to Hob Green Children's Centre in Pedmore, said she was 'over the moon' that the centre would not be closing.

She was part of a group of mothers who held a protest against the proposals last week.

They had been told that if their site shut they could catch a bus to the next nearest centre.

They were outraged, saying the move would cost them at least £20 extra a week, putting a squeeze on family budgets, and said there would not be enough room for all the pushchairs on a bus.

Mrs Cheslin said: "It's fantastic news. We are absolutely elated. We couldn't believe it when we heard.

"We are very proud of all of our supporters who helped us," she added.

Kyra Hill, 25, who has a two-year-old daughter, Lilly, said the centre had given her a lot of support since she moved from Walsall to Stourbridge, and was campaigning to save Quarry Bank children's centre from closure.

"The centre has made a huge difference to me," she said.

"I have made lifelong friends and I couldn't have done without their support. I am so pleased they are keeping it open. I haven't stopped smiling since I heard."

Miss Hill, who is a member of the centre's Parents Voice committee, had planned a protest due to take place on Friday.

But she said parents would now take part in a march to show their support to the centre and gratitude to the council.

Mother-of-two Kerry Wickett, 35, had been among those campaigning to save the Kingswinford and Wall Health centre from closure.

She said: "The staff do a great job and it is a support mechanism for the parents. We would want services to remain here.

"We appreciate there has to be cuts at the council but there has to be some common sense about it."

Priory children's centre was among those which could have services and hours reduced in the proposals.

Rhoda Pearson, who has five children including two who have recently been attending Priory children's centre, said: "It is good news that the centres are not to close but we are still waiting to hear what will happen. I'm not sure that we are out of the woods quite yet."

MPs have also welcomed the news. Halesowen and Rowley Regis MP James Morris, who joined a campaign to save the Tenterfields centre in Halesowen, said: "I am delighted that David

Sparks has done the right thing, listened to the overwhelming opposition to the closures and accepted that the council's proposals were a terrible idea.

"Nobody should pretend that there are any easy answers, because budgets are tight, but scrapping the vital services provided by children's centres was not the right way forward."

Stourbridge MP Margot James tweeted: "Good to hear Dudley Council have withdrawn disastrous proposals to close seven out of 20 children's centres, including three in Stourbridge."

Dudley North MP Ian Austin, who visited Priory, Gornal and Sedgley centres, said: "I'm pleased for the centres that were threatened with closure and I want to make sure that the ones that were deemed to be satellites like Sedgley and Priory will not only have their services maintained but will be strengthened."

Chris Kelly, MP for Dudley South, said the closures 'should never have been proposed in the first place.'

Chairman of the Dudley and Halesowen branch of Ukip, Bill Etheridge, organised meetings with parents over the closures proposals, and said: "We are pleased that Councillor Sparks and the labour administration running Dudley council have taken a step back from the disastrous idea of closing children's centres."