Richmond: Children's centres hit by cash shortfall

Plans for much-needed children's centres at borough primary schools have hit the rocks because of a £665,000 shortfall in government funding - reports the Richmond & Twickenham Times.

Lowther Primary School, Barnes, was due to submit a planning application for its centre next week, but the cruel blow means the project is now in serious jeopardy because of a lack of cash.

And two other proposed children's centres - at Heathfield Primary and St Richard's, Ham - could also be forced to scale down.

The blow comes as a result of a failed application for additional funding from Richmond upon Thames Council.

Pat Hutchies, headteacher at Lowther Primary School, said north Barnes had been identified by the government as a key area for a children's centre.

She said: "One of the ideas of these types of centre is that they can deliver intermediate services, not just education.

"Health visitors could have a proper space not just a tiny chair in the corner of a room.
"This kind of service is hard to deliver at the moment in the area and it would have just been the most marvellous opportunity for families in the community.

"There will be a significant shortfall in the cost of what we want and what we should be delivering.

"North Barnes deserves the facility so we can deliver hard to access services.

"We are going to be campaigning to get the money - where there's a will there's a way.

"I think if you look at what is right, the community deserves it. It's extrememly disappointing."

She added the idea had been in the pipeline since the early 1990s, but it was only since the government pinpointed the area as part of a wider children's centre plan that dreams started becoming reality.

A Richmond Council spokesman said: "The three new-build children's centres, at Heathfield Infants, St Richard's with St Andrew's and Lowther Primary, are facing a combined shortfall of £655,000.

"The children's centre capital programme consultants, employed by the DfES to oversee the Children's Centre initiative, supported Richmond's request for additional funding.

Subsequently, however, the DfES has, initially, refused the funding.

"If Richmond does not receive the additional funding, then the council will have to rationalise its plans for children's centres schemes in the borough."