The current threat of closure hanging over the Meadow Primary Sure Start Centre is both short-sighted and damaging.  What makes it worse is the Conservatives incompetence in handling the issue.

In February they sent officers into the Sure Start Centre to announce their intentions, before publicly explaining their policy plans, perhaps in the mistaken believe that they could do so secretly and without the parents who rely on the service becoming aware.

They then declared that the talks with Sure Start Centre staff were exploratory, with no definite plans in place for closure, but they have withdrawn SCC Officer support for the Centre’s Governing Body without any explanation.

Finally two weeks ago SCC sent an Officer to talk to local County Councillors about a summer public consultation on Sure Start Closure plans only to say one week later that public consultation has been abandoned whilst further changes are made to the proposals.

This is no way to treat a key local service, let alone the staff of the Meadow Primary Sure Start Centre and the parents and children who gain much

from the work undertaken.    The time has come for the Conservatives to set

out clearly their plans, their timescales and their vision for Sure Start Centres in Epsom and Ewell so we can all be clear about what the future holds for our local children.

Councillor John Beckett

Residents’ Association

Ewell Division

Stoneleigh, Nonsuch, Ewell Village