MORE than 1,000 people have already expressed their views over plans to close children’s centres in Surrey in a county-wide consultation document, which has been criticised for being ‘too complicated.’

Haslemere’s Tennyson Sure Start Children’s Centre at St Bartholomew’s School, which has been supporting families in need for nine years, is one of 31 centres threatened with closure.

Surrey County Council is proposing to close 31 centres and operate family sessions and classes through 21 hubs and nine satellite bases.

The council launched a consultation over the plans, plus changes to libraries, special education needs and disabilities services (SEND), recycling centres and bus services at the end of October.

By the end of the first full week of the consultation being open, the council had received more than 1,000 responses to the children’s centre section.

But there has been cross-party criticism of the consultation, with some councillors expressing fears it is too complicated, that it’s not going to change anything and is not credible.

Speaking at a full council meeting on, November 13, where the transformation programme and preliminary budget was adopted, members voiced their concerns.

Independent councillor Stephen Spence said he was concerned about scrutiny of the consultation and called for a ‘cabinet of talent’ drawing from all parties, to be involved with pushing through any changes.

Supporting a review of the democratic set-up of scrutiny in the council,

Conservative councillor John O’Reilly said he was concerned results from the consultation, which closes in January, will not be adopted into the final budget that will be passed in February. 

Mr O’Reilly said any changes as a result of the consultation must be put in before members approve the final budget and they had not been taken into account in the draft budget already put before them.

He said: “We must be assured no financial implications of those consultations are included in this draft budget.

“Because this important consultation has to be genuine. It has to be credible and in order for a budget produced in Februrary to also be credible, this has to apply.”

Opposition leader, Lib Dem councillor Chris Botten, criticised the consultation for being too complicated.

Mr Botten said: “I want to understand what the detail of those proposals is.

“And despite all the excellent briefings and the intelligent and robust conversations we have had, I don’t know that detail.

“We are not yet ready to take these decisions because we don’t yet know enough detail.

“Nail me to the mast when I know what I’m doing and what I’m hearing.

•The deadline for responses to the consultation on five service areas is January 4. Take part at:www.surreycc.gov.uk search for ‘have your say.”