CAMPAIGNERS battling to save children’s centres in Hampshire have stepped up their fight.

As reported in the Daily Echo, dozens of Sure Start Children’s centres across the county could close and be replaced with ‘district hubs’ - but activists believe the plans could be shelved if council chiefs dig into a multi-million pound relief fund.

In a bid to pile on the pressure, a demonstration to protest the cuts has been organised later this month.

A petition has also been launched that has received more than 500 signatures in just four days.

Meanwhile, campaigners have made freedom of information requests to the council for information on the number of children taken into care and the associated costs as they claim that cutting the centres could lead to rising numbers of children needing social services support.

The controversial proposal will see 11 ‘hubs’ used in Hampshire instead of 54 centres. In addition drop-in services will be closed, charges will be levied against social groups and staffing could be cut by up to 60 per cent.

Patients and families would be expected to travel up to an hour to get to their nearest hub in some cases, those against the plans have warned.

One of the lead campaigners battling the scheme is mum-of-two Catherine Ovenden,36, from Totton who successfully fought against similar plans in 2011, she believes the centres could be saved if council chiefs use cash from a £19m government relief fund that was announced last week.

Catherine said: “I think the proposal is really short sighted it will end up costing Hampshire County Council more money.

“Without the early intervention provided by Sure Start the council can’t support families to do the best they can and it will end up with more children being taken into care.

“The transition money is there to cushion the blow of cuts and if it is not being used for that – then what is it being used for?”

Deputy Leader Keith Mans refused to say whether the prospect of using the relief fund will be looked into but explained that the council needs to make difficult decisions.

Cllr Mans, said: “The settlement the County Council has received from Government was a reduction of nearly £50m compared to the previous year, when we expected a reduction of £20m compared to the last financial year. The £9m of temporary transitional funding is only for two years, and even taking it into account, we are still more than £20m less well off each year than we expected to be.

“Plugging part of the gap in the short term, will not remove the longer term pressures which remain, and which could be exacerbated in further years. The issue remains that the County Council needs to reduce its recurring spending by £113 million by April 2017, and by a further £140 million by 2019/20.”

The consultation is available by visiting hants.gov.uk.

The demonstration against the plans is being held on March 22 at Lyndhurst Community Centre from 9:30am.