Is this just yet another Tameside BIG CON-versation?

Cllr Allison Gwynne, Cabinet member for Children and Families in Tameside.

Many people will already know of the latest Big Conversation currently being conducted into the future of 10 of Tameside's 17 children's centres. Dukinfield, Millbrook, Longdendale, Fairfield in Droylsden, Lyndhurst in Dukinfield, Newton, Audenshaw, Rosehill and Waterloo Children's Centres are all facing closure in a move that the council estimate will save £300,000 over the next two years.

The closing date for the Big Conversation is Wednesday 12 March and residents can "have their say" by visiting: http://www.tameside.gov.uk/tbc/current

However, I decided to contact Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council with two questions of my own. My questions are in bold, the response from the council spokesperson in italics:

(1)   How long it will take for the information to be fully collated after the closing date?

We will be planning to analyse the responses from the closing date. We are uncertain of the length of time at this point until we have final numbers of people involved in the consultation, we do want to ensure we have ample time to analyse responses and inform our final decision.

(2) On what date will Tameside Council expect to publish its final decision? 

We are looking for the final decision to be agreed in June and made public after this.

In other words - as in the case of Tameside's libraries two years ago - the Labour Council will not be making their final decision UNTIL AFTER THE LOCAL ELECTIONS IN MAY!

In the Tameside Advertiser recently, Councillor Allison Gwynne, Executive Cabinet member for Children and Families was quoted as saying:

"We have now taken a comprehensive needs assessment of our children's centres and this review is focused on the services we deliver not buildings we occupy."

The table below, however, shows the pressure that will be placed upon the remaining children's centres - and the communities that each one will be expected to serve - once the closures go ahead:

So why can't Tameside Council not state clearly to the people, before the local elections, what exactly will be the extent of the service that they intend to continue to provide, so that the people can make up their own minds as to whether they will support the council's recommendations?

Why can't the Labour Council make the final decision before the local elections in May? If the cuts are all down to the Tory/Lib Dem Coalition Government in far-away Westminster, then what does Labour have to fear by being open and honest with the people before polling day?

I am certain that I'm not the only person in Tameside who believes that, by waiting until all the votes have already been cast - and until all their councillors have got themselves safely re-elected - before closing children's centres is not strong, decisive local government and certainly not strong leadership, but just plain moral cowardice!

Carl Simmons

Denton South Independent

Friday 17th January 2014