Council hits out at "misconceived" legal action over children's centre closures

Oxfordshire County Council has condemned as misconceived a threatened judicial review by local campaigners over its closure of children’s centres.

The council said claims made by Save Oxfordshire Children’s Centres were “legally and factually misconceived”.

A council statement said: “Their case is that local authorities cannot take any service delivery decisions which are firm for more than one financial year and cannot plan ahead of that.

“That is obviously not the law. The children’s centres campaigners have not explained why they say it is, or referred to any statutory provision or other authority in support. The council has carried out two consultations and conducted impact assessments.”

The council last week voted to retain 18 of the 44 centres by allocating a further £2m to them. The new 0-19 years service will be provided from eight children and family centres, eight outreach centres and two local bases in the east of Oxford and at Banbury.

Oxfordshire said it would also look to develop open access stay and play sessions at its 43 libraries.

Melinda Tilley, cabinet member for children, education and families, said the current centres would remain until spring 2017 “however the inescapable reality remains that the council is in the midst of saving £361m across all services, not just children’s service, from 2010 to 2020.

“What we are proposing is the safest possible system that protects the most vulnerable families – that is our legal and moral responsibility and what the wider Oxfordshire public would expect.”

The campaign group has been contacted for comment.

Mark Smulian