South Shields Labour Party to join campaigners' rally ahead of Stanley's nurseries closure decision
The South Shields Labour Party will join a rally organised by campaigners before the Council Cabinet meeting to consider the closure of Stanley’s nurseries.
The South Shields Labour Party is joining a rally organised by Save Our Stanley’s campaigners to show their support outside the town hall next week ahead of a meeting in which the Cabinet will consider the closure of 10 Stanley’s nurseries.
A report to be considered at a Council Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, September 23, recommended the closure of all ten Stanley’s Daycare Nurseries.
If councillors go ahead with the proposals, all of the Stanley’s Daycare Nurseries will close from July 31, 2027.
At the meeting the borough’s top councillors will make a decision on the childcare provision and the South Shields Labour Party is urging those who oppose the plans to attend a rally before the meeting.
Reacting to the news, local Labour Party Secretary Ed Malcolm said: “The Council receives a grant for pre-nursery provision in the Borough from the Government, and whilst the service in its present form requires an additional annual subsidy from the Council of £1.1m, we are not convinced all options to protect public pre-nursery provision has been considered.”
Ed Malcolm said the decision to close the nurseries appears to have been a ‘rushed done deal’ by the new Reform Council with staff being told after the May elections that the service would close by July 2027.
“halt the process”
He said: “This has not been a genuine consultation. If there had been real political commitment to save this service, the Council would have met with parents, trade unions and staff in an open manner to consider a range of options such as merging some Stanleys, creating a co-operative solution or examining whether some Stanley provision could have been provided by the Boroughs school fraternity.
“This is an Officer recommendation, it is for the Reform Councillors to make a final decision – they should listen to staff and parents, halt the process and undertake a meaningful dialogue so that this valuable service can be maintained.”
The rally to support the parents campaigning to save the nurseries will take place outside the Town Hall on Wednesday, September 23 at 3:15pm.