PARENTS will not be able to tell the difference in Enfield's children's centres after huge cuts, the woman in charge of them has claimed.

Under proposals currently under consultation, Enfield Council plans to close a site based at the Holy Trinity Church in Green Lanes, Winchmore Hill, as well as axing more than ten centre managers to make a saving of £822,000.

The remaining 23 centres will be grouped into clusters with one central manager, with parts of the borough with higher deprivation receiving more services than those in more well off areas.

But Councillor Ayfer Orhan, cabinet member for children's services, said that her aim was that parents would not be able to tell any change as the cuts were in management.

She said: “It's a good model, but it's important to get as many views as possible in the current consultation.

“The idea of a cluster of centres is going to mean fewer managers and there will be a more intensive management system – I'm confident it will work.

“These proposals mean – although Winchmore Hill will close – that we can make sure that nobody loses out. The parents won't be able to tell any difference.”

Families that use the centre in Winchmore Hill will be invited to Hazelwood Road site in Palmers Green instead.

The centres provide childcare and a range of family services to children aged under five, with nine offering full day-care.

Funding now comes through the Government's newly-introduced Early Intervention Grant, which the council must divide between a number of children and young people's services, including work with teenage parents and youth crime programmes.

A similar plan for a cluster system of centres has been met with widespread anger from campaigners and headteachers in nearby Haringey, forcing the council to think again on the idea.

Haringey Council plans to close four centres to make savings required after government cuts, but Cllr Orhan denied that only closing one in Enfield would not save enough money.

She said: “We've done our sums and we have thought about what our priorities are in this borough.

“Other boroughs maybe don't put as much emphasis on children's centres, but we believe that it's a critical part of our provision.

“Our priority is to make sure that our children are prepared for school and supporting that with care and early intervention.”

The consultation runs until the end of the month. Click here to take part.