People in Clifton are saddened to hear about the permanent closure of a children’s centre which is now set to be sold. The Clifton Children’s Centre at Greencroft in Clifton has been closed for over 6 months.
A decision has now been made to declare the building surplus to operational requirements and for the future of the site to be determined by the Director of Economic Development at the council. The annual running costs for the site are approximately £55,000, including an £8,000 business rates charge.
The centre has provided early help services to the local community in addition to day care services through a charity, Greenfields Ltd. The early help service was gradually relocated to Clifton Young People’s Centre on Green Lane, where delivery has taken place for around three years.
Residents in Clifton have spoken out about their thoughts on the closure of the children’s centre.
43-year-old stay at home mum, Sarah Kent has lived in the area for over 20 years. Although Sarah’s children never attended the children’s centres, her children do go to out of school activities and she said they would be sad if they were to close.
“It is a shame, all my kids go to different clubs in and around Nottingham which helps me and it helps them so for anyone’s child who went to that children's centre I can completely understand that they’ve had something beneficial taken away from them," she said.
“It isn’t fair on the children especially. The area definitely needs a children's centre in my opinion, all areas should have one accessible to them.”
Andrew Rule, Conservative councillor for the Clifton West Ward has called the closure of the centre “deeply concerning'' and said: “Children's centres give somewhere to give children and their families somewhere to go after school hours as the council has withdrawn youth services.
“We do have the risk of seeing an up ticking in anti-social behaviour. Now that the council has declared yet another building surplus, it now needs to enter meaningful dialogue with the voluntary sector so that they can step in where the council can no longer do so.”
The Clifton West councillor mentioned that he shall be meeting the portfolio holder for children in the coming weeks to “give young people somewhere to go.” Mr Rule praised the work that other services are doing for children in the community.
Mr Rule continued: “The Pythians have made a fantastic difference in Clifton since doing their outreach work on a Tuesday evening in conjunction with NET, we have the Clifton amateur boxing club that does fantastic and Pete Bell step out stay out who does an enormous amount of work delivering football and soccer delivered at Farnborough Academy.
“Really really worried that one will be the next that gets declared surplus.”
India Mott is 28-years-old and a new mother who is on maternity leave from her office job in the city centre. India, who lives in Clifton, has spoken out about her concerns of a children’s centre closing.
She said: “It just makes you think. I have a 2 month old and by time she’s at the age where she could possibly be going to youth clubs and things like that. You just wonder will there even be anywhere to send your child to?
“It is concerning that a children’s centre has closed down. It’s somewhere for kids to go and when children are blamed for this and that and rising crime even though breaking the law is never okay they need to at least be given the opportunity to have something to do.”
One resident who wished to remain anonymous said that they are concerned also about a children’s centre closing but agrees with the decision if it wasn’t being used.
“If the children’s centre was used by many then of course it’s outrageous for it to close, the city council needs to find other places to cut the money," they said. "If it wasn’t used then hopefully they come up with an appropriate reuse for the building. There’s cuts left right and centre, it does make you worry but there’s nothing ordinary people can do.”
