Parents with kids at an under-threat nursery are pleading with West Lothian Council not to shut it down.
Linlithgow Bridge Nursery is among nine early learning settings earmarked for closure by West Lothian Council.
Although the local authority has stressed no decision has been made, consultations are being held to determine if the council-run nurseries are economically viable.
Linlithgow mum Catie Edwards is among parents who fighting the proposals tooth and nail.
Her kids Skye (7) and Robyn (4) had benefitted from a ‘caring and nurturing’ environment at the nursery and she’d hoped for the same experience for her 10-month-old daughter Evelyn.
She says the arguments for closing the nursery don’t stack up and fears such a move would put Linlithgow Bridge Primary in a vulnerable position. She told the Courier: “My eldest two went to the nursery and absolutely loved it.
“During Covid we saw how they coped and nurtured under really extreme circumstances.
“I don’t think the council’s financial reasons make sense and the numbers just don’t add up.
“It’s also not right that there isn’t demand for the nursery. The council has forecast – from their own numbers – that the demand isn’t really falling.
“Looking back to 2019, certainly numbers have fallen, but since then it’s been announced childcare places are being expanded, so we know by the end of 2026, there will be places for two-year-olds and so the capacity problem goes away.
“If anything, this will cost council money. The only savings they claim to make is through staffing but at the same time they’re saying they won’t make anyone redundant, they’ll terminate temporary contracts. But that’s job losses just the same.
“When you look at the funding model also, they’d actually have to employ more staff if they’re moving everyone from Linlithgow Bridge to Linlithgow Primary, because they wouldn’t actually have enough staff.
“It would actually cost them around £40,000 more to have one big nursery than two smaller nurseries.”
Catie continued: “It all just feels very rushed and that they want to make the headline figures look good.
“But their reasoning behind it all just isn’t there.
“If they put all the kids into one nursery in Linlithgow, education standards are only going to go down, because you have an extra 80 kids per session being stuck in one big room.
“I don’t know many adults who would cope with 80 children in one big playroom let alone the children.”
Executive councillor for education, Andrew McGuire said: “Plans to close nine nurseries have not been approved, but the education executive has approved plans to begin consultation with parents and stakeholders on the planned reduction of nine nursery and early learning buildings, given the high number of surplus spaces within council nurseries. The proposed changes would see a community-based approach to nursery provision being put in place.”
Leader of the council, Lawrence Fitzpatrick said: “Councils receive 80 per cent of our funding from the Scottish Government so we have no choice but to reduce spending and reduce some services. This is a clear example where we can continue to deliver important services but also work much more efficiently.
“I appreciate some parents will not want to have their local nursery close but the council, like all councils, needs to change the way in which services are delivered and it is only right officers look at options to address the fact that we have 30 per cent more nursery space than is needed to meet demand.”
Officers confirmed facilities would not close until August 2025 if the plans were to be agreed.
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