Borders council votes for nursery closure plan

A council has voted to press ahead with plans which could see a number of nurseries closed despite a protest from parents.

The local authority in the Borders revealed proposals to shut six rural sites earlier this month due to low attendance levels.

It prompted criticism from families with children at the nurseries - as well as from Slow Horses actor Jack Lowden. He went to Channelkirk Nursery in Oxtonwhich is under threat of being mothballed.

Scottish Borders Council's executive committee voted by nine to seven to take forward its "meaningful consultation" which could pave the way for mothballing the facilities.

The council plans, which emerged earlier this month, said the sites across the region were operating at 50% capacity or below and should be mothballed.

The local authority said the closest alternative provision was within an "acceptable distance" and promised consultation before any closures went ahead.

That was criticised by parents over the short notice with which they had found out the proposals.

Jack Lowden also said he hoped some alternative solution could be reached.

A facility in Fountainhall shut this school year and it is proposed to remain mothballed.

A further six - Channelkirk in Oxton, Cockburnspath, Ednam in Kelso, Walkerburn, Westruther and Yetholm - are being recommended to be mothballed due to falling numbers.

Channelkirk parent Paul Fulton said: "All of us are so upset and disheartened by the whole process.

"We feel that the decision made today is the wrong decision."

He said an amendment - which would have dropped the closure plans and allowed longer consultation - would have been the "common sense" option.

"We just feel they need to take stock and come back next year with a properly thought-out policy," he said.

Mr Fulton said he did not think the short consultation being proposed of a few weeks was long enough.

However, he said they had not given up hope of keeping the sites open.

"We are going to continue the fight and continue to tell them exactly how we feel about it," he said.

"We hope that by the time it comes back to council the right decision is made."

Executive committee member Julie Pirone said they needed to understand all the factors affecting the 50 or so children involved and why parents had sent them to a particular nursery.

"Everybody must be clear that this council - and every other council up and down the land - is looking at the same thing," she said.

"We are strapped for cash.

"I do not like looking at cutting services when we have increased the council tax."

She stressed that finances were not the only issue they needed to look at before reaching a final decision.

"We need to consider people's views and having a consultation is the right way to do that over the next few months," she said.