CHILDREN'S centres in Redditch have been placed under review by cash-strapped council chiefs.

Worcestershire County Council says it wants the public to suggest fresh ideas for more than 30 of its sites, including those in Redditch, prompting fears some could be closed.

The leadership has countered that concern by insisting it wants to make each site more popular among the general public.

Most of the buildings are attached to schools, while some are standalone community centres and all of them offer a range of important services to young people, parents and carers.

But bosses at County Hall are trying to save around £25 million a year and are currently drawing up plans to find a new outside provider for an integrated service for 0 to 19-year-olds, which will go live in October.

The children's centres include Cherry Trees Children's Centre in Batchley, Holly Trees Children's Centre in Riverside, Maple Trees Children's Centre in Matchborough, Oak Trees Children's Centre in Lodge Park, Willow Trees Children's Centre in Church Hill and Woodlands Children's Centre in Woodrow.

The consultation includes 32 council-owned ones and four additional children's centres managed externally, including the one at Wythall Library.

Many of them offer services like health advice, parenting programmes, antenatal support, early years education like 'stay and play' classes, speech and language help and more.

Councillor Marcus Hart, the cabinet member for health and wellbeing, said: "I'd like to invite all local residents to share their views on the future use of children's centres.

"By listening to the needs of service users we're trying to ensure the best possible support services and facilities for families with children aged 0-19.

"As well as providing for current service users, our hope is that the buildings will in future fulfil a wide range of functions that support and appeal to all members of the community.

"We're eager to hear from people who perhaps don’t regularly visit their local centre about what we can do to make the building as useful and appealing as possible."

There is also a belief that many of them have the potential to be opened up on weekends, rather than be based around a 9am-5pm weekday pattern, if the public got involved and expressed an interest in running them.

Labour group leader Councillor Peter McDonald said: "These buildings are at the heart of each community - if any are closed we'll be asking questions.

"People will start wondering what they pay their taxes for?

"These services cannot be allowed to go backwards."

The public are being asked to have their say by Friday, January 29 by doing an online survey via worcestershire.gov.uk/childrenscentres.

Paper forms are also available in each building.