COUNCILLORS are poised to offload nearly two-thirds of a county’s children’s centres, in a bid to save £1m.

Critics says Durham County Council’s 43 specialist children’s centres, which cost more than £30m, have failed the poorest families and most vulnerable children and even council chiefs admit they have not reached “many of those in most need” and so “not resulted in the improvements hoped for”.

Now, following a three-month public consultation last year, the authority is proposing to slash their numbers from 43 to 15, with the other 28 transferred to “alternative providers” such as charities and community groups.

A pilot project in Chester-le-Street is said to be working well and the Labour cabinet will take a final decision when it meets at Spennymoor on Wednesday (March 18).

Councillor Ossie Johnson, the cabinet member for children and young people’s services, said the council was committed to providing high quality services to support families and children to be healthy, ready for school and achieve their potential.

“We recognise that children’s centres play an important part in this and we propose to change the way we work to target support to children and families who need it most,” he added.

Council chiefs want to retain centres at strategic points around the county, while offloading others nearby.

Hence, one facility would be retained in each of the following “clusters”: Consett, Stanley, Chester-le-Street, Deerness Valley, Durham, Easington, Seaham, Peterlee East, Peterlee Central, Peterlee West, Ferryhill, Spennymoor, Newton Aycliffe, Bishop Auckland and the Durham Dales.

The review comes as the council tries to cut £250m from its spending by 2019. Around £137m of that will have been saved by April.

The children’s centres were developed from 2004 onwards. They currently cost around £4.9m a year, including £3.3m in staffing and £1.5m in buildings costs.

Owen Temple, the Liberal Democrat councillor for Consett North, said the process seemed “crude”.

Last summer, Rachael Shimmin, the council’s corporate director for children and adults services, had to apologise after only Labour councillors were briefed on the controversial shake-up before it was made public.

Cllr Johnson said there was no clandestine motivation, but Lib Dem leader Amanda Hopgood said the same thing had happened over leisure centre closures.