Southwark Council spent more than half a million pounds on agency staff at nurseries it says it can’t afford to keep running, according to new figures.

A total of £542,324 was paid out for agency workers at four council-run children’s centres since April 2011 – an average of £32,000 a month,

But the amount seems to be growing.

Almost half the sum was spent on one particular nursery – South Bermondsey Children & Parents Centre in Tenda Road
– which was given a temporary stay of execution just last month thanks to the parents’ campaign.

Why is so much is being spent on agency fees when the nurseries are under threat of closure?

The council told us it can’t afford to keep running these nurseries, and then we find out ludicrous amounts of money are being spent on agency staff and fees.

Labour councillors in charge say the nurseries need to make savings, but at the same time they’ve been signing off tens of thousands of pounds in agency costs.”

The figures were revealed in response to Freedom of Information requests.

The amount paid out in agency costs for each centre are:

Centre Name                           2011-12 Expenditure Agency      2012-13 Expenditure Agency (to date)    Total
Aylesbury EYC                         67,649                                            22,970 90,618
Bishops House EYC                 58,855                                            30,783 89,639
Camberwell Grove EYC           71,098                                            31,742 102,839
South Bermondsey CPC         164,383                                           94,845 259,228
Total Expenditure 361,984                                         180,340                                                       542,324