PROTESTERS have voiced their concerns for families if plans to close 31 children’s centres across Surrey go ahead.

Members of union groups and Save our Services gathered outside Surrey County Council’s County Hall headquarters in Kingston on Tuesday to protest against the cuts.

The stand against the proposals to go before Cabinet members next week was timed to coincide with a meeting Mary Lewis, cabinet member for children and families, was holding inside the building.

SCC is planning to close 31 children centres across the area – including Elstead & Villages Sure Start centre – reducing the number from 57 to 26. It will then set up an additional nine ‘satellite’ hubs and keep one mobile unit.

Under the plans, Hale Children’s Centre will be retained, but Potters Gate in central Farnham will be downgraded to a satellite.

The sites will be rebranded as ‘Family Centres’ and offer services for families with children aged up to 11 years old. Volunteers will be called on to help run the centres as staff take on more outreach work.

Redundancies have not been ruled out, according to council papers to go before Cabinet members tomorrow (January 29).

Speaking to the group, Paul Couchman from Save Our Services said: “I fail to see how that stops people falling behind. The core purpose of children centres is to improve outcomes for children and their families and to reduce inequalities as children develop.”

He said figures suggested there were 30,000 children living in poverty in Surrey and the use of foodbanks had increased by four-folds.

He added: “Surely in a time of austerity and the difficulties people are facing this is not the time to be closing children centres.”

Showing support for the families and staff who will be affected by the cuts, Lee Belsten, secretary of Surrey Fire Brigade Union, said: “You have got the support and backing of Surrey firefighters and Fire Brigade Union. We are experiencing cuts and challenges to the fire service across Surrey. We are here and we support you.”

The protest had been organised by groups campaigning to keep children centres open.

Stopping to talk to them was Chris Botten, Liberal Democrat leader at Surrey County Council, who offered support for their campaigns.

Hundreds have signed petitions objecting to the cuts, which will be considered by cabinet members at their meeting.

George Potter from Save Boxgrove, one of the centres threatened with closure, said after the protest: “Children’s centres are a vital point of contact for communities – they offer support and services that you can’t get anywhere else and help parents build social connections with each other.

“Expecting parents to make one or two hour round trips to visit one of the proposed hubs instead of just popping into their local centre isn’t realistic.

“People in need will fall through the cracks which will just mean greater costs for schools and the NHS when they have to pick up the pieces.

“This is meant to be a democracy and we want Surrey County Council to hear our voices and backtrack on these short sighted closures.”

The closures are expected to save £1million in 2019/20 and then £3.4m per year after.

The county council’s major consultation into five areas, including SEND (special educational needs and disabilities) and recycling centres, resulted in 28,000 responses. The largest response rate was for community recycling centres with more than 12,000 people filling in the questionnaires.

Following the consultation a number of recommendations have been made, with the cabinet set to decide whether to adopt them.

If the recommendations are adopted, four recycling centres will close – Bagshot, Cranleigh, Dorking and Warlingham.

A second round of consultation is to take place over the future of libraries and free bus travel for carers, with parents of children with SEND also having to wait until February when a new strategy for provision will be drawn up.