THE fate of Knutsford children’s centre has been revealed as Cheshire East Council announces its proposals for the building.

Announcing the plans in a statement this week, the council has said that Knutsford along with Broken Cross, Sandbach and Nantwich and Rural children’s centre is not being closed but instead used as a ‘satellite centre’.

In a recent statement, Cheshire East Council said that it plans to still deliver some services from each building including new parent groups, baby massage, tiny tot’s playgroups, midwifery and stay-and-play sessions, and that Knutsford’s centre will be leased from the council by Wirral Community NHS Trust.

The plans also include a mobile service, which is ‘in the process of being procured’ by the council which will deliver ‘tailored services’ to rural areas. The council has also assured that there will be no loss of capacity.

Councillor Liz Durham, cabinet member for children and families, said: “Cheshire East Council is committed to ensuring that those children and families who are in greatest need receive the support they require through a modernised children's service that delivers the right service in the right place and at the right time.

“Rather than closing children’s centre services in four of the borough’s locations, the council is actually protecting services via a different deliver model and broadening their reach into our wider communities. No centres are closing.

“These proposals for revised service delivery will allow the council to build further on its aspirations for a far more effective delivery of services, working with partners and addressing a far wider range of family needs and concerns.

“We believe that the proposals for change in the Borough will support better outcomes for children across Cheshire East.”

The council has said that the ‘de-designation’ and reorganisation of services will save around £500,000 a year.

Cllr Andrew Malloy, an independent councillor for Knutsford Town Council, has express his concern over the long-term future of the centre.

“It’s great that it’s staying open and that services are going to be provided still,” he said. “But it has raised a whole raft of questions. I’m happy but remaining slightly dubious about the long term future of the centre.

“The borough council voted to cut half a million pounds from its budget and what’s being suggested- I can’t see how they are going to achieve that and that more cuts could be on the horizon. That’s my big concern.

“We have to make sure that people now use the centre as much as possible because it’s like anything, if you don’t use it you lose it.”

Several jobs will also be lost in the reorganisation, including management and back office roles but the council has said it ‘hopes’ staff affected by the job cuts will be redeployed within the authority, with no compulsory redundancies.

Out of 74 services across the four centres, only seven will be affected, although the council has not yet confirmed which these are.