Members of Bournemouth cabinet will be asked next month to support proposals to establish two new Children's Centres, in Iford and Winton.

The proposal is to develop a Children's Centre as part of the redevelopment of the Sports and Rugby Club facilities in the playing fields on Iford Lane, and to develop the other centre within the redevelopment of the former Bingo Hall in Wimborne Road.

These plans form the final phase of Bournemouth's Children's Centre development programme which is designed to fulfil the Government's vision to create a Children's Centre in every community by 2011. The programme has already seen the establishment of seven other Children's Centres in the borough. Bournemouth has now received a grant of £642,713 capital funding to complete the final phase of the programme.

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Members will be asked to support plans to use the funding to create two new centres, and to provide additional facilities for the North Bournemouth and Townsend Children's Centres that were established in the first two phases of the programme. In addition, further proposed projects to be funded include working with libraries and housing landlord services to create a Children's Centre facility within the Lottery funded rebuild of Kinson Library.

Councillor Malcolm Davies, Cabinet Member for Children & Families Services said: "The Children's Centres that have already opened as part of the programme are proving popular with local people and providing an excellent range of services to support young children and their families. The addition of new centres in Iford and Winton would complete our plans to create an accessible network of Children's Centre services across Bournemouth, in line with national policy."

(CD/JM)