Parents at a nursery facing council cuts said they feel “betrayed” by the Labour administration.
Brighton and Hove City Council has proposed cutting services at Bright Start nursery, including its baby room, and moving it from its current site in Barrack Yard near the Prince Regent Swimming Pool to the Tarner Family Hub in Ivory Place.
The move, expected to save £150,000, is part of cost-cutting measures to plug a £30 million funding gap in council finances.
However, parents with pupils at the nursery have expressed upset at the plans and accused Labour of using the nursery as a “political football to gain power”.
Suda Perea, one of the parents affected by the cuts, said: “None of the Labour councillors have shown any compassion and our multiple requests for clear financial information continue to be evaded with slick political speak that, ultimately, says nothing.
“We feel bitterly disappointed and if this is a sign of what a Labour government will look like, then I don’t think any of us feel confident voting Labour in the general election.”
Another parent, who did not give her name, said she felt “used” after Labour “won our vote by convincing us that they would act differently”.
She said: “I don’t feel that parents’ views have been considered and the overall brilliance of this nursery seems to be discarded with the same old excuse of ‘there is no money'.
“I am fed up with being led by people who don’t seem to grasp what matters to families and people in general.”
A petition calling for the council to save the baby room from closure has attracted hundreds of signatures since being set up earlier this month.
Edward Armston-Sheret from the Save Bright Start campaign said: “With no baby room, scant outdoor space and with most of the existing staff pushed out, the new nursery won’t be Bright Start.
“Before the elections last May, Labour made a big show of supporting Bright Start and said they’d look to expand childcare. Now they’re acting as if we should be thankful that they’re not closing it.
“Like many parents, I feel betrayed.”
In the party’s manifesto at the local election last year, Labour committed to “maintain council-run nurseries wherever possible”.
Council leader Bella Sankey said the council had stopped initial plans from the Green-led council to shut the nursery outright.
She said: “The core problem is that the current building for our excellent Bright Start nursery is unsuitable, in poor condition and in need of expensive repairs. The Green solution to that was outright closure, with no alternative. Our policy has been to find a suitable building very nearby, which means Bright Start will now be co-located alongside other important services for families and children in the Tarner Family Hub.
“Importantly, following a consultation with parents on the operating model - every single parent currently at Bright Start can be accommodated in the new building on the same hours and same number of weeks, including those children currently under two.
“Despite massive real terms cuts in funding from government, this Labour council are very proud to be maintaining all seven council-run nurseries in the city - a vital investment in early years.
“We are sorry that a number of parents continue to campaign against this policy, but we hope they are able to take up a place in the new setting for Bright Start and continue to benefit from the expertise of our brilliant early years staff.”
The petition from the Save Brighton Start campaign can be found at https://www.change.org/p/save-the-baby-room-at-bright-start-nursery.
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