TWO children’s centres on the verge of starting much-needed revamps to improve their services have had their funding axed.

The Little Treasures centre, in Electric Avenue, Westcliff, and the Cockleshell Nursery, in Southchurch, can now not proceed with the planned works.

The promised funding has been withdrawn by the Department for Education as the Government makes savage cuts to public spending.

Little Treasures was expecting to get £200,000 to join its two buildings, a nursery and church hall, together and create extra space for children’s services.

The Cockleshell Nursery, based at Southend Adult Community College in Ambleside Drive, had earmarked £250,000 to create a bigger entrance and change its layout so nursery care and children’s centre services each had a dedicated floor in the two-storey building.

Little Treasures, which opened in August 2006 as a Sure Start Centre, is run by the council and the Westcliff Elim Christian Centre.

Church pastor Mike Wright said: “Our premises are not ideally suited to this work, and so we were offered the opportunity to upgrade the buildings to better enable us to meet the needs of the local community through the children’s centre.

“We are obviously disappointed at this decision, but understand in the current economic climate savings have to be made.”

Martin Terry, independent councillor for Westborough, said: “These deep cuts will disproportionately affect areas like Westborough.

“We have the highest amount of children of any ward in the town and the densest population.”

Brenda Smith, chairman of Westborough Residents’ Association, said: “This will hit Westborough hard and hurt parents and children alike.”

Paul Greenhalgh, Southend Council's corporate director for children and learning, said plans for both centres had been at an advanced stage, but attempts to appeal against the Government’s decision had failed.

No other children’s centres in the town are affected, while plans to build new centres at Hamstel Road and Prince Avenue are on track and due to open in the next few months.