Nurseries will be at risk of closure due to proposed Reform UK cuts

PLUS: The second full council meeting since Reform UK's resounding Lancashire election victory is unlikely to be a quiet one

Hello and welcome to The Lancashire Lead.

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Which is relevant to this week’s topic which we are able to write about thanks to a number of readers getting in touch to express their concerns.

There are proposals - in their very early stage - for Reform UK to cut funding to nurseries in the county. Everyone we have spoken to about this believes it will lead to job losses and closures.

And we look ahead to the next Lancashire County Council full council meeting, where time will be spent on flags and free speech.

Staff, funded places and entire nurseries all at risk if planned Reform cuts go ahead

Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash

By Luke Beardsworth

Plans that could see Reform UK cut funding to nurseries in Lancashire will see job losses, closures and fewer funded spaces for children in deprived areas.

That is the verdict from one charity that supports nurseries across Lancashire and the rest of the UK.

Lancashire County Council receives funding from central government to fund early years provision and the authority has typically passed all of this money to nurseries.

But a letter from a senior member of staff at Lancashire County Council, seen by The Lancashire Lead, says the authority will launch a consultation in September which suggests keeping 3% of that money for council services.

The National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) estimates that this will save Lancashire County Council around £3m but cost the average nursery around £5,000.

Jonathan Broadbery, director of policy at the NDNA, told The Lancashire Lead: “The evidence that had been presented in Lancashire [to lead to 100% of the funding being passed on] is that a number of sites were closing, particularly in areas of deprivation.

“Because the council has a statutory duty to provide sufficient childcare for families, that is why they have passed through as much as they can to make sure it’s there for parents.

“As soon as you hit a nursery's income, the first thing that is going to hit is the staffing. They’re talking about not being able to increase staff pay, not being able to fill vacancies and the stark reality is that some are talking about closing and you can't get away from that.

“Parents will see the availability of funded places hit as nurseries find it harder to offer them. They may need to send their children out of their area or the nursery their child is at may close.”

Although Lancashire County Council is a relatively rare case in handing 100% of funding to nurseries, with both Blackpool and Blackburn with Darwen retaining some of the funding, Broadbery said that this is reflective of the county’s unique challenges given its size and diversity.

The proposals have also sparked concern from Labour’s Lancashire cohort of MPs who have written to Cllr Stephen Atkinson, Reform UK’s leader of the council, and Cllr Matthew Salter, cabinet member for education and skills, to voice that.

The letter reads: “Families and children are the backbone of Lancashire. We know cost-of-living makes day-to-day life a continual juggle especially for families with young children. We should, at all levels of government, be doing everything we can to reduce the burden on both childcare providers and families, not taking away from them.

“We understand that you have the right to cut this funding if you wish to, but that would be a choice that impacts thousands of Lancashire residents for the worse, and would cause untold stress on young families.

“If these are the kind of efficiencies your new leadership is going to champion, we are deeply concerned for what choices will come next.”

The letter has been signed by 13 MPs - including the Southport MP Patrick Hurley and MP for Burnley Oliver Ryan - but The Lancashire Lead understands that Maya Ellis, MP for Ribble Valley, is the driving force behind the letter.

Cllr Samara Barnes, for Rossendale West, told The Lancashire Lead: “With Reform-led Lancashire County Council planning to consult on cuts to early years funding, concerns are growing among parents in my area and indeed across the county.

“Cuts to nursery funding are incredibly worrying and risk damaging the foundations of early childhood development.

“Families rely on accessible, quality childcare and without proper support, nurseries could be forced to let staff go, raise fees or even shut down. It is the most vulnerable who will be hit the hardest.”

The Lancashire Lead asked Cllr Matthew Salter for his view on the plans but did not receive a response.

A spokesperson for Lancashire County Council said: "We will be carrying out our annual consultation into funding for this service and we will consider a number of possible options.

"One of those options will be to pass on 100% of the funding to Early Years Providers, as we currently do. We will share the outcome of the consultation when this has been completed."

Cllr Lorenzo More, Reform UK councillor for Penwortham East & Walton-le-Dale, said it is part of the council’s mission to use funding more transparently.

In a letter to a concerned father-of-two, seen by The Lancashire Lead, he said: “Currently, the council passes on 100% of the central government’s early years funding to nurseries and childcare providers. Reform UK’s proposals would retain a small portion of that funding to be reinvested into broader services that directly benefit families - such as safeguarding, community health programmes, and SEND support, which have long been under strain.

“The intent is not to deprive hard-working families, but rather to ensure every pound is spent where it has the great impact.”

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Reform’s quiet start to County Hall life set to come to an end

Analysis by Luke Beardsworth

Reform UK’s start to life as the party in control of Lancashire County Council has been relatively quiet - at least compared to the bedlam seen elsewhere in the UK.