New attack on play centres and service is mean-minded

Published: 11 February 2011

THE city council’s play service is being hit by a series of cuts and price increases as part of Westminster’s £52million cuts programme. 

This will result in some current school-based play project sites having their subsidy withdrawn.

The city council’s plans will see working parents having to pay the full price for places at play centres and then claim 70 per cent of the cost through the working tax credit. 

The council says that “the low fees charged to parents have resulted in a significantly low local take-up of working tax credit”.

The council’s action involves:

• a cut of £275,000 in 2011/12;

• a cut to the contract with Westminster Society for People with Learning Difficulties in 2011/12 which the council says “are expected to offer further cost reductions towards the savings agreed by cabinet on December 17”;

• a cut to the Lisson Green play contract which ends in March 2012 which the council says “will be relet with a view to seeking further savings”;

• an increase in costs for places which the council says will mean “increased fee income of £100,000 per annum over a three-year period”.

In addition, the number of staff will be halved from 28 full-time equivalent posts to 14 posts.

Every week brings cuts to Westminster’s front-line services and to local jobs. 

This week the Conservatives have targeted school children attending play centres for their mean-minded cuts.

And with play centre prices on the increase, parents are now being told by the council to go cap-in-hand to get extra benefits from the government to pay the extra council charges. 

This is council which is supposed to be against people claiming benefits; now they are actually encouraging people to claim as much as they can from the “big state”.

cllr Paul Dimoldenberg, Leader of the Labour Group