Hillingdon: Legal action taken to stop nursery closures

Parents are taking legal action in an attempt to prevent the closure of three nursery schools in west London.

A judicial review claim has been lodged against Hillingdon Council.

Out of the blue in August the council informed parents and carers that the Uxbridge, South Ruislip and Nestles, which is in Hayes, early years centres would close in December.

The centres provide more than 100 places for children under five.

The council says they make an annual loss of £500,000 and that can no longer be sustained.

But lawyers for the parents say the council acted unlawfully when it used special "urgency" powers and failed to carry out a consultation.

The council is also accused of failing to promote the wellbeing of children and breaching the Equality Act by not assessing the impact of the proposed closures on working mothers.

Private nurseries in the area will cost between 50 to 80% more, and parents say the changes will be disruptive and stressful for their children.

Jade Field works part time as an administrator for an engineering company and her two-year-old son Henry goes to one of the centres three days a week.

"None of the private nurseries in the area are as good or gave me the same special feeling," she said.

Henry took a while to settle and she says she will need to take time off work to get him used to a new nursery.

"I am really anxious. I know I will have to take loads of annual leave because I know he won't settle.

"I, like other parents, would be happy to pay more. I would be happy for it to be means-tested. That was never an option the council has considered. We have been kept out of any discussions. We don't know if they've considered any other options."

Mayank Madan's three-year-old daughter Ameira has used the Uxbridge centre for two years, recently going up from three to five days a week. He says the care is excellent and there's nothing to compare in the area.

"There's been no dialogue, no consultation. This is really bad and sad for us.

"With the cost of living and mortgages rising, this is the last thing we thought we would see happen."

Another parent, Orest Bakhovski, said the council had failed to listen to their concerns.

"The nurseries are a much-loved part of the community, with staff that are highly trained to deal with specific needs of children and families," he said.

"Particularly at a time when households need most support, the closure of the settings will be devastating."

Mr Bakhovski says Boris Johnson, Uxbridge MP and former prime minister, has not been supportive and did not attend a meeting with parents over the summer.

"He appears disengaged from the community. What his office have told me is that it would be unconstitutional for him to try to overturn the council's decision.

"I wasn't asking him to do that, just to ensure that it was reviewed and a proper consultation carried out."

Last week Mr Bakhovski and other campaigners presented a petition to the council and made their case to the councillor in charge of children's services.

Some questioned why the council had waited until after the local elections in May before announcing its intention to close the centres.

Hillingdon Council, which has confirmed it is in receipt of a notice of legal action, has been approached for a response.

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