Fight goes on to save day nursery

TOWN Hall chiefs at Warrington have pledged a continuing campaign to try and save a popular day nursery from closure – despite opposing a Labour move designed to give more time to avoid the axe.
Council leader Ian Marks said was still a chance that the Westy Sure Start Nursery could be rescued as another nursery – to be run by local parents as a social enterprise – was interested in renting the building.
Two months ago the council decided the nursery must close at the end of March after twice failing to find a third party to take it over.
The nursery, the only day-care provision managed by the council, opened in 2004, funded by the government. But three years later the funding was withdrawn and the council has subsidised it since.
A Labour group motion urged the council to fund the nursery until the end of June to enable all viable alternatives to closure to be explored.
But Cllr Sheila Woodyatt, (pictured) executive member for Children’s Services, said the council needed to fund the nursery only to the end of March.
She said there was now interest from a local social enterprise in renting the nursery.
The council was prepared to offer the building for rental but the procedures required that it be advertised on the open market.
Council leader Ian Marks said he, along with Warrington South MP David Mowat, had been very active in trying to find a way forward to keep the nursery open. Council officers had also been working hard to ensure an alternative provision was there for parents.
But it was essential the council recognised the legal position on employment law and its own rules and regulations for dealing with assets.
He said: “There are laid down procedures which require us to advertise on the open market. We cannot make special arrangements with one organisation because we would be open to challenge.
“I have guaranteed to the nursery that is interested in renting the building that as soon as we go to the market they will be informed. I have also said we will do everything we can to get to this stage as fast as possible.”
The Labour motion was defeated by 29 votes to 28 and the controlling group’s amendment was accepted by 29 votes to nil, with the Labour group abstaining.