By Don Mort, local democracy reporter
Council leaders could be asked to re-consider their decision to close 18 children’s centres in the city.
Opposition councillors have launched a formal challenge to a reduction in the number of centres to save Leeds City Council £2.45m.
The council’s executive board decided to press ahead with a re-organisation of family services at a meeting on October 15.
The council, which must save more than £100m this financial year, said some centres were underused because of a falling birth rate.
Children’s centres facing closure in West Leeds include Burley Park, Farnley, Farsley and Pudsey.
Historic centres in Hollybush and Kirkstall – where services are not currently provided – would also be among a further six across the city to be de-registered.
The council would continue to provide centralised services at 31 children’s centres to maintain a universal and citywide offer of support for families. In West Leeds these would be at Armley Moor, Bramley, Little London, Horsforth, Swinnow and Hawksworth Wood.
Leeds would still have 31 children’s centres, more than other comparable cities, the council said.
But concerns were raised over the evidence used to justify the closure plan.
Now a “call-in” of the decision will be debated by the council’s children and families Scrutiny Board on November 4.
Led by councillor Mark Dobson, of Garforth and Swillington Independents, the call-in request said: “If consultations are to serve any purpose, it must be to inform the decision makers. This has not happened on this occasion.”
The councillors said the consultation and professional advice put to executive board was “inadequate”.
It was not clear how alternative provision would be found, or how the cost savings would be achieved, they said.
Their request said: “The clarity of the aims and desired outcomes remains unclear.”
The children’s centres review included plans to de-register six centres not currently in use, and provide more online services.
The council has said the shake-up was based on a detailed assessment of families’ needs.
At the scrutiny meeting, councillors could decide to refer the closure decision for re-consideration, or release it for implementation.
A report to the meeting said: “The call-in process provides the facility for the Scrutiny Board to require a decision taker to reconsider a decision within a specified period.”
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