Multiple petitions are ready to be delivered to Hillingdon Council as the fight to keep children's centres open in the borough continues.

Residents will attend a hearing tonight (February 1) at the Uxbridge Civic Centre to voice their concerns on the proposed closure of two children's centres in Hayes and in Northwood.

The proposals come as part of a £415,000 saving to the council's budget, consisting of £200,000 savings from "children centre expenditure" and £215,000 described as a "review of children centre delivery model".

The presentation of nine petitions at the council meeting comes after a series of controversies surrounding the 2017/18 budget announcement from the Conservative-led council.

Hillingdon Council is planning to close centres at Uxbridge College in Coldharbour Lane, Hayes and at Hillside Primary School in Northwood Way, Northwood from April 2017.

Each centre serves around 800 to 1,000 children under the age of five.

A leaked letter from Hillside Primary School in Northwood Way claimed Hillingdon Council was planning to close the children's centre to save money, not because of problems with the lease as it first said.

The council announced in December that it was planning to close two centres in Hayes and Northwood because the landlords had "declined to agree leases".

Getwestlondon revealed in January that the second children's centre landlords opposed the closure of the facility.

But Hillingdon Council insisted the landlords refused to agree leases, which it claimed sparked the plans to close them.

Two Hillingdon children's centres are expected to close this year

The issue has recently thrown light to the leader of Hillingdon Council, Cllr Ray Puddifoot, saying in March 2016 that there were no planned service cuts or facility centres in the coming year, despite a reduction in central government funding of £73million.

Nine petitions to 'problematic' closures

The news of the planned closures has caused an uproar among parents who use the facilities, which run a range of services including respite childcare, counselling and breast-feeding courses.

Of the nine petitions, one is from Cherry Lane Children's Centre, another from Hillside Children Centre, the Uxbridge College centre site and an online petition.

All of the petitions will be heard by deputy council leader, Cllr David Simmonds this evening.

A petition has been launched on change.org

The online petition, set up by governors and Headteachers of Hillside Infant and Junior schools and the Children’s Centre staff, has more than 700 signatures.

A public consultation on the plans was also launched on December 14 and ran until January 25.

Labour councillor for West Drayton, Cllr Jan Sweeting, previously said: "Reducing the scope and capacity of children's centres in a borough with a booming child population would seem not to be a sensible way forward as money spent now will reduce more costly services required in later life."

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A spokesman for Hillingdon Council said prior to the consultation launch: "Like all local authorities, Hillingdon Council is facing tough financial challenges and we need to make efficiency savings whilst continuing to deliver high-quality services.

"There is currently a public consultation on the proposals for changes to children's centres.

"The council is proposing to reorganise the way that we deliver services at children's centres by introducing a new children's centre programme model, allowing us to make efficiency savings whilst continuing to provide support to residents."

The meeting, titled '"Petition Hearing - Cabinet Member for Education and Children's Services" will start at 7pm in the Civic Centre in High Street.

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