Bury Council has given the financial go-ahead for not one, but two Children’s Centres in Prestwich.

At it’s Executive Committee on 12 September at which I represent the Liberal Democrat Group, the Council agreed just under £500,000 for a second children’s centre to be located at Butterstyle Primary School. Go ahead has already been given earlier in the year for a Children’s Centre at Sedgley Park Primary on Kings Road.

The Butterstyle scheme still has to seek approval from the Planning Committee for the physical aspects of the project. At the Executive Committee I said the money for the Children’s Centre was brilliant news, but that we need to make sure that that local residents are happy with the plans and that we address some of the congestion issues in the area. I know that my colleages Donal O’Hanlon and Richard Baum who are councillors for that part of Prestwich have been working hard on this issue.

The two children’s centres have been placed in areas which have most need for them according to information from census and other data that the Council collects. Hopefully the Government will be announcing more money for children’s centres in the future. Clearly its a very long way down to either Butterstyle or Kings Road from the North of Prestwich, so we’ll be arguing that a next centre should be at this end of the area.