Press release
Parents, carers and the community are celebrating a huge win as Hackney Council concedes children’s centre judicial review. This means that Hackney Council will need to consult again before making any changes to childcare provision in their children’s centres.
The Labour Hackney South and Shoreditch Women’s Branch, Liberal Democrats, Green Party, and Socialist Party, as well as Hackney Unison, are all standing in support of the campaign, which is seeking to save 129 subsidised childcare places which are at risk because of the proposals.
Natalie Aguilera, a parent with a child at Fernbank Nursery, who was also involved in the last campaign to stop the closures of Fernbank and Hillside in 2021, said: “We welcome that Hackney Council has finally accepted that it has acted unlawfully in this matter. The truth is that closing Sebright and Fernbank children’s centres and reducing services at Hillside and Oldhill is a political choice, made at the expense of the youngest members of our community who cannot yet speak for themselves.
“We urge the council to recognise the clear strength of feeling in the community and commit to not cutting or closing its children’s centres, and instead recognise and promote the fantastic service the highly experienced and dedicated staff provide, especially for those from the most disadvantaged backgrounds.”
Brian Debus, Chair of Hackney Unison, commented on the council’s retreat from the Judicial Reveiw Hearing. “This is great news and the parents who have led this campaign exposing the council’s flawed consultation process are to be congratulated for a long and tenacious battle against Hackney Council’s shortsighted policy.
This is the second time that the council has attempted to close children’s centres in three years, with Fernbank and Hillside being involved on both occasions and Sebright and Oldhill this time. This has caused massive distress and disruption to staff and parents throughout. Hopefully the council will take an alternative path and not put staff and parents through any more unnecessary trauma and stress in the future. They should also stop wasting council money on legal cases that are not in the community’s interest.”