Aberdeenshire Council’s dramatic U-turn hands four closure-threatened nurseries a last-minute lifeline
Plans to mothball four rural nurseries appear to have been dramatically shelved.
Aberdeenshire Council had been due to hold an emergency meeting on Monday, June 9 concerning the closure and mothballing of Ballogie, Crosssroads, Glass and Sandhaven Early Learning and Childcare settings from August 2025.
However, the strength of the public backlash has seen the local authority perform a dramatic U-turn - for the moment, at least - on their previous strategy of ploughing ahead with the controversial measures.
Council leader Councillor Gillian Owen said: “The administration is minded to seek a review of our mothballing guidance to incorporate a consultation process with parents.
“We acknowledge the strong feelings concerning the four settings and appreciate the concerns of parents who highly value their local early learning facilities. We are trying to balance the needs of children and families with a challenging financial position, but it is critical we do this in the right way.
“We will be recommending that we pause planning for all future mothballing activity currently under way, whilst we examine the guidance. Whilst we have been engaging with parents, we need to consult at a much earlier stage to inform the decision-making process and we will explore how to integrate this into the procedure.
“We will also recommend reversing the budget decision identifying this as a saving in our 2025/26 budget process and seek to identify the saving from elsewhere.
“We are taking the unusual step of announcing our intention prior to the meeting in the hope that we remove further anxiety for the people who have made requests to speak.”
The news was met with jubilation by the SNP-led opposition group on Aberdeenshire Council.
SNP Education and Children’s spokesperson, Councillor Louise McAllister, said: “The decision to mothball these nurseries, without consultation or democratic oversight, was wrong from the get go, and that is a point we have strived to make since the announcements in April.
“As well as the U-turn on mothballing, I sincerely hope that the administration also accept that these decisions need to be fully returned to the hands of elected members, so that we can truly be a voice for the communities we represent.
“Whilst I am delighted for the children who can now continue to access their childcare provision in these settings, I think the administration must acknowledge and apologise for the hurt and distress caused by this short sighted decision making.”
SNP Deputy Education and Children's spokesperson, Councillor Jenny Nicol, added: “From the outset we have voted against mothballing decisions being made by officers, and consistently challenged a process that lacked proper consultation and failed to consider the long term impact on rural families.
“For too long, decisions were being made behind closed doors, without the input of those most affected and facing the traumatic realities of mothballing. This reversal shows what can be achieved when communities stand up and are supported by councillors who put people before ‘process’.
“We welcome this shift, but it must now be followed by a full review of the guidance and a genuine commitment to rural early years provision going forward.”
Another calling for the closure plans to be scrapped is Aberdeenshire West Conservative MSP Alexander Burnett.
Prior to the surprise statement from the council administration, he had received confirmation from the Scottish Government that the local authority should be holding a public consultation, under the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010, before any decision is taken.
The act states councils should engage as “early as possible” with families affected by proposals to mothball a nursery.
Mr Burnett continued: “The wellbeing of our rural communities are at stake.
“The scale of the challenge facing parents to find local childcare across the north-east is significant, which is why keeping these nurseries open is absolutely vital for our rural areas.
“It’s completely unacceptable that a consultation hasn’t taken place before now, at a time when parents have had next to no communication from officers on this serious matter.
“Early years are hugely important to a child's physical and mental development and future life chances.
“But closing rural education settings like these without adequate replacements will harm this, add thousands of miles to the yearly journeys for families, and result in rural depopulation.
“I hope councillors do what’s right for Aberdeenshire by keeping these nurseries open to prepare children for later life, while also supporting working parents, especially mothers.”
The meeting will go ahead as planned on Monday.
