Decision on family hubs' future delayed by a week

The future of two family and children's centres in Kent will now be decided on 13 March.

Kent County Council's cabinet was expected to "confirm, amend or rescind" the decommissioning of family hub provision at Seashells in Sheerness and Millmead in Margate at its meeting on Monday.

Instead, the cabinet "progressed" the issue to all members when full information will be available, according to the Local Democracy Service.

The council hopes to shave around £425,000 from its budget, arguing services will be available at other centres nearby but critics say they are too far away for existing users to access and may not be ready in time.

The council announced officially on 17 January that services at both centres would be decommissioned.

That decision was called in by the scrutiny committee.

The independent member for Sheppey Mike Whiting said KCC had "kicked the can down the road a little bit longer".

Margate councillor Barry Lewis, who has led the campaign to save the services at Millmead, said: "Looks like they bottled it. I hope (Conservative) members will be allowed a free vote next week."

Council leader Roger Gough argued it would be wrong to "pre-empt" the debate at full council.

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