South Scotland Labour MSP Colin Smyth has described plans by Scottish Borders council to “mothball” nurseries in the region as a “devastating blow” to the communities affected.

The local MSP wrote to the Council’s Chief Executive after being alerted to concerns over the future of nurseries in the region when parents who had enrolled children at Cockburnspath Primary School and Nursery were told that enrolment had been out on hold.

A report has now been published that will go before members of the Council’s Executive Committee next week which proposes a consultation on “mothballing” eleven Early Learning Centres including Cockburnsparth.

The eleven  affected are Broughton, Channelkirk, Cockburnspath, Coldingham, Ednam, Fountainhall, Gordon, Newcastleton, Sprouston, Walkerburn, Westruther and Yetholm. In addition Sprouston is already mothballed and consideration will now be given to it’s long-term future.

Glendinning nursery is also identified as a “concern” in the report due to “the suitability of the accommodation”. According to the council, the condition of the building had required a temporary closure and its re-provision in the neighbouring Burgh primary school where it will operate during 2025/26, while a more detailed assessment is made of the accommodation and the practicality of its repair.

Colin Smyth has also expressed concerns over the process being used by the council as part of it’s consideration of the future of the nurseries. There is clear guidance from the Scottish Government on the process the council should pursue to carry out a proper consultation when it plans to mothball a nursery. The council are proposing a very short consultation and to then register the nurseries as “inactive” with the Care Inspectorate, allowing them to close the nurseries for 12 months without having to cancel their registration.

Colin Smyth said, “These proposals are a devastating blow to the communities affected and I can understand why concerned parents have been in touch. Of course people recognise that if enrolment numbers fall, it makes it more difficult to justify maintaining every single nursery, but numbers alone cannot be the only consideration. If they go ahead, some of these closures will lead to parents having to travel miles to the nearest nursery. Everyone knows that once a nursery is mothballed it rarely re-opens as either families move out of a community or permanently move children to alternatives. The minimum number of 16 children for a nursery in a rural community is very steep and wipes out a lot of local provision.

“I am also not convinced the council are following the spirit of the process that they should use. They are trying to get round the need for an extensive consultation before you mothball a school or nursery by simply saying they will register the nurseries as inactive with the Care Inspectorate if that’s what councillors decide after a very short consultation. This is the first time I have known falling roles to be used for the purpose of registering a nursery as inactive with the Care Inspectorate. The council should be looking in detail at the issues that have caused numbers to fall in a community, such a lack of housing for families and deliver a plan to build up numbers not axe nurseries at a whim.”