Last chance to save nurseries from axe

PARENTS have the chance to make a last-ditch attempt to save their children's nurseries from closure after Scottish ministers "called in" the council's decision to axe them.

Councillors voted in favour of closing Princess Elizabeth and High School Yards nurseries last month, but that decision has come under scrutiny from the Scottish Government after it emerged council bosses failed to "properly fulfil" its statutory obligations.

Under the new Schools Consultation (Scotland) Act 2010, all school closure decisions made by local authorities are subject to a six-week period to enable the Scottish Government to decide if the proposals should be called in for further consideration.

The first three weeks are to allow interested parties to make their representations to ministers and they are supposed to be informed of this entitlement by their local councils.

But city chiefs failed to include this information in their final report published last month.

The city council has now reached an agreement with ministers to give an extra three-week period, starting today, to allow parents and nursery campaigners the chance to give their views on the closures.

A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: "The Scottish Government has called in City of Edinburgh Council's proposals to close the Princess Elizabeth and High School Yards nurseries.

"This is due to concerns that the council has not properly fulfilled its statutory obligations to set out the opportunity for interested parties to make representations to Scottish ministers, following the council's final decision.

"Scottish ministers have agreed that there will now be an additional three-week period for interested parties to make a representation to the Scottish Government, with a final decision to be taken thereafter.

"Edinburgh Council will ensure this is communicated widely to interested parties."

Parents with children at Princess Elizabeth and High School Yards nurseries, as well as other campaigners opposed to the closures, were set to receive a letter today informing them that they now have three weeks to air their views.After this time, ministers will make a decision on whether or not to approve the nursery closures, which would save the council just under 200,000 per year.

As well as parent campaigners, university lecturers, former headteachers and a specialist in child development all wrote to the council to oppose the plans.

Gillian Tee, the city council's director of children and families, said today: "Public consultation is a big priority for us and we go to great lengths to ensure that the people of Edinburgh have a say in what we do.

"I'm very confident that everyone who wanted to take part in this consultation had the opportunity to do so.

"However, we didn't make it clear that there was a further three weeks to make representations to ministers and we should have done.

"We have written to parents to make this clear. "