Ealing Liberal Democrats have pledged to keep all children’s centres in the borough open if they win control of the council next month, after last week’s High Court ruling allowing Labour-run Ealing Council to close 10 centres.
The party said it would reverse the closures, describing the promise as a fully costed manifesto commitment ahead of the local elections on 7 May 2026.
The centres earmarked for closure are in Acton, Ealing, Greenford, Hanwell, Northolt and Southall. They include Maples in Acton; Hathaway and Log Cabin in Ealing; Windmill in Greenford; Copley Close in Hanwell; Northolt Park and Academy Gardens in Northolt; and Grove, Windmill and Greenfields in Southall.
Last week, a judge dismissed a judicial review brought by the parents of a two-year-old child challenging the council’s decision.
Mr Justice Kimblin ruled the council had acted lawfully, rejecting claims that the consultation process had been inadequate or that legal duties had been breached.
Following the judgment, the council said: “We welcome the court’s decision, which confirms that the council has acted lawfully throughout this process. Our new family hubs model will allow us to provide support to more families, in more accessible locations, while protecting frontline services.”
Jonathan Oxley, the Liberal Democrats’ spokesperson on children’s services, said: “The Liberal Democrats are hugely disappointed for the parents of the two-year-old who brought the appeal against the decision by Ealing’s Labour council to close her children’s centres.
“The Liberal Democrats are committed to reversing all the closures of children’s centres if we win the local council election on 7 May. This is a fully costed pledge in our manifesto.”
The party said it had previously proposed budget amendments to keep the centres open and tabled a council motion calling for the closures to be reversed.
