Nursery protestors gather at town hall (From Darlington and Stockton Times)

Nursery protestors gather at town hall

9:58am Wednesday 10th October 2012 in News

save a nursery tried to confront councillors arriving for a cabinet meeting yesterday.

Unfortunately for the 40 or so parents, children and Union representatives who gathered to protest against possible cuts to the Kids and Co nursery service, in Darlington, Darlington Borough Council cabinet members avoided the banner-waving group.

The demonstration was organised by parents concerned that a 90-day consultation may end with the closure of the Kids and Co nurseries in Borough Road and Pendleton Road South as part of council cuts.

Parent Sarah Walker said that although a handful of staff and parents were allowed into the town hall to present council leader Bill Dixon with a cake, she was disappointed that the rest of the council cabinet had avoided the demonstrators.

She said: “I am gutted that we all turned out here and they have not seen us at all. I have no idea how they got in when we expected them to walk right past us through the front door.”

Unison representatives turned out to support the campaign. Spokeswoman Dawn Taylor said: “It is the continued erosion of children’s services by the Government’s brutal austerity agenda which means that local authorities are having to deliver more for less, and our public services are not going to put up with it. We are prepared to fight.”

The closure of the two nurseries and the flexible childcare service would put 44 people out of work.

The council said no decision had been made.