‘Kick in the guts’ - South Tyneside MPs voice concerns over recommended Stanley’s nursery closures
South Tyneside’s MPs have expressed their concerns at South Tyneside Council’s recommendations to close all ten Stanley’s nurseries.
Both of South Tyneside’s Members of Parliament have voiced their concerns after a South Tyneside Council report recommended that all ten Stanley’s Daycare Nurseries close.
The report comes ahead of South Tyneside Council’s Cabinet meeting next Wednesday (September 23) where the borough’s top councillors will make a decision on the childcare provision.
If councillors go ahead with the proposals, all of the Stanley’s Daycare Nurseries will close from July 31, 2027.
The Save Our Stanley’s Campaign has been calling for South Tyneside Council to reconsider their proposals - with the campaign having been backed by the borough’s MPs.
‘The Cabinet can stop this’
Emma Lewell, MP for South Shields, has branded the report’s recommendation as a “real kick in the guts” for those who have campaigned against the cuts.
She said: “A real kick in the guts for the Save our Stanley's campaign to see closures as the recommended option.
“The Cabinet can stop this, it is their decision and theirs alone.
“The campaign will continue.”
‘It is very disappointing’
Kate Osborne, MP for Jarrow and Gateshead East, has said she is “deeply concerned” at the recommendation and highlighted that she will speak with campaigners ahead of next Wednesday’s meeting.
She commented: ‘’It is very disappointing that, as one of the MPs representing the borough, I was not informed directly by Reform-led South Tyneside Council about the publication of its Cabinet report on the future of the Stanley’s Nurseries.
“While no final decision has yet been made, I am deeply concerned that the report being considered recommends closing all ten Stanley Nurseries from July 2027, despite the strength of feeling from families, staff and the wider community.
“The report itself recognises the potential impact on children with SEND, vulnerable families and those who rely on accessible and affordable local childcare, and these concerns must be taken seriously before any final decision is made.
“I’ll be speaking with the Save Our Stanley’s campaign about the next steps, and I would encourage residents to contact their local councillors to make their views known ahead of the meeting next Wednesday.’’
The Council has stressed that its Cabinet hasn’t made a final decision on Stanley’s and won’t do so ahead of the meeting on September 23.