MILLIONS of pounds handed out to improve preschools and nurseries across Hampshire could be lost after the Government has told councils they might have to give back the cash, the Daily Echo can reveal.

Nearly £4m for projects to boost young children’s learning in Hampshire and £160,000 for schemes in Southampton is currently on hold while councils wait to hear if they can keep the money.

The Department of education (DfE) says it is carrying out a review of the funding after Hampshire County Council was given £15,135,000 over three years as part of the Sure Start Early Years and Childcare Grant to support the Government’s strategy for helping youngsters get a good start in education.

But £3,790,000 of that yet to be secured for more than 20 planned projects – including £500,000 for a new building for Little Saints Pre-school in North Baddesley – could be lost.

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Supervisor for the preschool, currently based in a church hall, Carolyn Fielder said: “If it is a case that it won’t go ahead then a lot of parents and children, as well as the staff here will be very upset. We were hoping to have the purpose-built preschool ready for next Easter.”

In Southampton, the city council was given a £6,448,182 grant of which £168,441 has yet to be allocated to five specific projects and could be clawed back by the DfE. It is the latest blow to education in Southampton after the Government scrapped £200m plans to rebuild five schools in the city as part of the Building Schools for The Future programme.

MP John Denham has accused the Government of going back on assurances that the Sure Start schemes would be safe from cuts.

“If this is the case it will be a huge broken promise,” he said.

“David Cameron said Sure Start programmes would be unaffected and George Osborne in his budget said they would be safeguarded from cuts.

“It is critical that they still get the funding. Sure Start has already helped thousands of children from Southampton and across Hampshire make better progress when they start school, especially those from poorer backgrounds who often fall behind their classmates.”

Councillor David Kirk, Hampshire County Council’s executive lead member for children’s services, said: “This does not necessarily mean they will be cancelled and we are currently in negotiation with the DfE, stressing the value and importance of these projects to local communities and are awaiting further information from them.”

Southampton Councillor Paul Holmes, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, said: “The majority of early years projects have already had funding secured.

“This puts Southampton in a much better position than others.

“We are still talking to a few of the project leads to see if they wish to go ahead.”

A spokesman for the DfE said they would let councils know by the end of July if they had to hand back the money.

Which nurseries could lose out?

Nurseries in Hampshire where allocated money is at risk are:
■ Whistlestop Day Nursery, New Milton (new building)
■ Valley Pre-School, Meonstoke (new building)
■ Little Saints Pre-School, North Baddesley (new building)
■ Twiggs Lane Pre-School, Marchwood (new building)
■ Little Deers of Burley, Burley (replacement building)
■ Lowford Pre-School, Bursledon (internal refurbishment)
■ Yellow Dot Town Nursery, Eastleigh (contribution to extension and outdoor play area)
■ Mulberry Pre-School, Marchwood (refurbishment and outdoor play area)
West End Pre-School, Eastleigh (refurbishment, addition of disabled facilities and canopy)
■ Little Stars Pre-School, Eastleigh (refurbishment of pre-school in church hall)
■ Brockenhurst Pre-School, Brockenhurst (refurbishment of pre-school in church hall)
Southampton City Council said five projects could be at risk but would not reveal which projects could lose the cash.