Council could close care centres

Unison say the cuts would have a real impact on the city

Two libraries and three daycare centres could close to help save money at Nottingham City Council.

Proposed cost-cutting measures also include an extra day's closure at some heritage sites and fewer council parking spaces.

The cuts, along with 350 redundancies discussed by officials in January, are designed to help cover a �12m deficit.

Managers said falling income and rising demand for services had forced hard decisions to be made about the budget.

It will have a real impact on real people Peter Savage, Unison

They say the daycare centres -Fairham in Clifton, Silver Birches in Old Basford and St Ann's in St Ann's - are underused.

The libraries in Top Valley and Bestwood would also close but be replaced by one in South Glade. The Central Library is to close on Friday but will open all day Saturday, instead of the current half-day.

Nottingham Castle, Newstead Abbey and parts of Wollaton Hall would shut for one day a week.

'No contest'

Deputy council leader Graham Chapman said the attractions would close when they were least used.

He said: "If you've got to balance between that and getting disabled children to school then there's no contest."

The council said it would be spending an extra �4m on child support and an extra �2m on caring for the disabled.

Peter Savage from the union Unison, said: "I'm disappointed that this has been presented... as switching money around to cope with pressures.

"They are cutting around 400 jobs [350 posts] - they are cutting services. It will have a real impact on real people."

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