Kirklees Metropolitan Council confirmed last week that TiddlywinksNursery would stay open and that Cambridge Road nursery would remainsubject to review in 2008.
However, Sankofa Nursery, which was unofficially shut down last month,is to close, with staff and children going to Cambridge Road.
A scrutiny committee report last week recommended that the two stayopen. The committee looking into plans to close the nurseries first metin July following pressure since February from parents and Unisonofficials (News, 19 July).
Alison Sykes, Unison represenative and nursery officer at Tiddlywinks,said, 'This report provided us with ammunition. At the meeting on Fridaythe cabinet agreed that Tiddlywinks would stay open but Cambridge Roadwould shut.'
'Then the chair of the scrutiny panel said she was disgusted that theirreport had been ignored. The cabinet was forced to backtrack and endedup unfreezing both nurseries' waiting lists.'
Parent campaigner Mel Mills said she felt jubilant about the result andvowed to work with staff at Cambridge Road to get the numbers ofchildren up. 'We will tell parents to go and support their localnursery. If staff can fill that nursery to the brim they will be safe,'she said.
Councillor Jim Dodds said, 'All three nurseries run at a financial lossand have had variable levels of occupancy.'