PROPOSALS to close down children’s centres in Basildon will hit the borough’s most deprived communities hardest, it has been warned.

Essex County Council has held a public consultation on plans to drastically slash the number of Sure Start centres operating in the area.

At present, the council operates 37 centres for 50 hours per week, but its proposals would see just 12 remain full-time, with the remainder either having their hours reduced or being shut down completely.

Across Basildon borough, seven centres have been earmarked for closure.

Kaleidoscope Children’s Centre, in Riverview Court, Vange, and Northlands Park Children’s Centre, in Davenants, Pitsea, are the two 50-hour per week sites likely to shut completely.

The seven centre closures will result in a combined 160 hours per week of access to children’s centres being lost.

In a response to the county council consultation, Basildon Council warned deprived areas would suffer from the proposals.

Terri Sargent, Tory councillor responsible for environment and community, said: “Of most concern is the impact of the proposals on Basildon’s most deprived communities, which appear to be disproportionately affected by the proposals.

“This appears at odds with the notion that children’s centres and the services they provide should seek to target those that most need their support.”

The county council proposes retaining one full-time “family hub” in each borough.

In Basildon, this would be Fryerns Farm Children’s Centre, in Ely Way.

Mrs Sargent said: “Travelling to access the proposed family hub could be a barrier to families who currently use Northlands Park and Kaleidoscope Children’s Centre.

“This is a concern given that families living within proximity to current children centres will now have to travel to Fryerns Farm in order to access support services and activities.”

The councillor referred to both Kaleidoscope and Northlands Park as “valued community assets”.

In the conclusion to the consultation response, Mrs Sargent urged Ray Gooding, county councillor responsible for education, to reconsider plans to close the two sites.

If the plans are given the go-ahead, the closures would take place from April 2017.