'We need to fight this' - MP Lorraine Beavers says decision to close Carleton Childcare is 'absolute disgrace'
“We need to fight this”
Fleetwood MP Lorraine Beavers says Lancashire County Council’s decision to close Carleton Childcare is an absolute disgrace and has vowed to fight it.
Carleton Childcare on Bispham Road in Carleton will shut its doors for good on December 18 after operating in the village for more than 60 years.
It will make 19 staff at risk of redundancy and leave 100 families without childcare in the New Year.
Speaking from outside the nursery, Ms Beavers said: “Lancashire County Council have decided that this place is going to shut down
“They have decided it needs knocking down and that is causing 75 children to not have a nursery place anymore.
“That’s 75 places for children who need a nursery, it’s members of staff who won’t have a job anymore and this place has to be knocked down and left as they found it 22 years ago when this was built for the children of Carleton.
“We need to fight this - I’ll be writing to them and asking them to come to table this afternoon and we need to get out there and fight LCC who are balancing the books by taking away vital services from the people of Carleton. They are an absolute disgrace.”
Carleton Childcare began as Carleton Pre-school and playgroup in 1965 and was run initially by volunteer parents in the village’s community scout hut.
It was one of the oldest childcare settings in the area having celebrated 60 years in the community last year with generations of the local children going to play, grow and learn with the Aunties at preschool.