In August, the council announced it was to close all three of its early years centres by the end of the year, leaving 102 children without nursery places.
Hillingdon Council blamed declining birth rates and taxpayer costs of over £532,000 a year for the decision to shut Uxbridge Early Years Centre, Nestles Avenue Early Years Centre, and South Ruislip Early Years Centre. It said it would use ‘special urgency’ powers to close the three sites, which opposition councillors said allowed the scrutiny process to be avoided.
Impacted parents, many of whom said they were unable to find alternative affordable and accessible childcare, campaigned against the closures, with the support of Unison the union, and instructed lawyers to challenge the council’s decision.
At a judicial review in the High Court on 3 November, the lawyer representing the group of parents argued that the council’s use of ‘special urgency powers to close a service was unlawful’. Also, that the local authority had failed to carry out a statutory consultation and ‘breached the public sector equality duty of the Equality Act 2010 by failing to identify whether working mothers would be negatively impacted by the cessation of cheaper and more local childcare.’
Following the review, Hillingdon Council withdrew its decision to close the nurseries by the end of the year, and committed to making a ‘fresh decision’ on the closures.
Lucy O’Brien from Watkins and Gunn Solicitors, who acted for the families, said, ‘It will be a huge relief for parents that the nurseries will now remain open. It is a shame parents were forced to issue proceedings on this case. However, we welcome the council’s agreement to withdraw their decision to close the nurseries. Parents now hope that any future decisions concerning childcare in the borough will involve full engagement with local residents and that the council puts the interests of children first.’
Orest Bakhovski, one of the parents fighting against the closures, said, ‘By making the decision in the manner in which they did, the council has effectively been marking its own homework with no regard for the impact on the community and working parents. We are confident there are alternative options, which will mean nurseries can remain open, if only the council was willing to listen. 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. Particularly at a time when households need most support, the closure of the settings will be devastating.’
Unison Greater London regional organiser Shirley Mills said, 'We’re really pleased the council have listened to our concerns and paused their plans. However, this is only a temporary reprieve, and our campaign will not stop until the council ditches the proposal entirely.
'The closures of the nurseries will impact the most vulnerable in the community, who are already struggling with the current cost of living situation.'
Hillingdon Council said, 'We can confirm that the council has withdrawn its decision of 4 August 2022 in relation to its early years centres. As legal proceedings are still ongoing, we are unable to comment further at this time.'
