HUNDREDS of concerned parents have signed a petition slamming Essex County Council after it announced plans to close a number of children’s centres.

Following the release of the council’s proposal for changes to Sure Start centres, several Halstead parents launched a campaign.

Within days the petition had more than 1,000 signatures.

Plans suggest the Acorn Children’s Centre in Halstead and Rainbow Children’s Centre in Sible Hedingham will close, and the Halstead Community Resource Centre will become a “delivery site”.

Parents fear those on low incomes will suffer and the hubs and delivery sites won’t have the same friendly atmosphere as the centres.

Kate Robertson, from Pretoria Road in Halstead, uses both centres with her 16-month-old daughter Agnes.

Mrs Robertson, 29, a teacher in Haverhill, said: “I think the main issue is the number of centres closing and groups that will be lost as a result.

“They have not thought about the relationships parents have built with staff.

“If I was showing signs of post-natal depression the children’s centre staff would be there to pick up on it.

“They are always checking on how we are doing and preventing the need for expensive targeted support.

“A huge amount of people are going to be isolated, I’m lucky to have family and friends around me but I know people who have moved to Halstead on their own.”

Kelly Gambier, 35, has only been living in Halstead since December, and she found the Rainbow Centre a lifeline for herself and her seven-month-old daughter Daisy.

She said: “I use the centre for the interaction with other parents, I need this for myself as well as Daisy who has already developed so much.

“It will have a really big impact on families and will make a huge difference as it’s a place for people to go with any concerns and feel they have a support network.

“I’m a childminder too and it will affect my business as I rely on the children’s centres to go to with children who have additional needs.”

The petition can be found at https://www.change.org/p/save-our-children-s-centres-essex The consultation by Essex County Council on the closure of the children’s centres will run until April this year.

There will be a consultation on Wednesday, March 9 at the Carousel Children’s Centre in Chapel Hill, Braintree, from 6.30pm until 8.30pm.

Halstead Gazette:

MEMBERS of Colchester Council’s scrutiny panel plan to discuss proposed changes to children’s centres.

Essex County Council has launched a public consultation which sets out plans to shut down 25 of its 37 main sites.

Remaining centres would be renamed as family hubs which County Hall claims will be more effective at co-ordinating support for families with children from pregnancy to the age of 19.

Labour councillor for the Berechurch ward Dave Harris asked the panel to discuss the issue and add their collective thoughts before the consultation closes on April 10.

Mr Harris, speaking to the panel, said: “I would appeal to the committee to arrange a response in that time because I feel Essex County Council would benefit from your gentle hand on it.

“I know this committee can scrutinise extrenal bodies and this would affect our residents.

“I think you would be able to give feedback which is different to what I would give.”

The panel will now discuss the issue at a meeting on March 10.

To comment on the consultation go to surveys.essexinsight.org.uk/childrenscentresconsultation2016