A controversial decision to close a council-run children’s nursery will be subject to further scrutiny.

Southampton City Council’s cabinet approved the recommendation to shut down Startpoint Sholing with immediate effect.

This decision at a meeting on November 26 came despite an overwhelming majority of responses to a public consultation being opposed to the proposal.

Council leaders said the provision was not financially viable and no plans had been brought forward to make it economically sustainable for the future.

The matter has now been called in by two Conservative councillors – Sholing ward member Sarah Powell-Vaughan and Woolston ward representative Rob Stead.

Members of the council’s overview and scrutiny management committee will discuss the decision by cabinet at a meeting on Thursday, December 12.

The committee will either recommend cabinet reconsider the issue or to not have a rethink and implement the closure without delay.

A special cabinet meeting has been scheduled for the following day, Friday, December 13.

In a notice outlining the reasons for the call-in request, scrutiny committee members Cllr Powell-Vaughan and Cllr Stead said: “Concern that the decision does not reflect the current and future demand for nursery places in Southampton as the population of the city continues to grow.

“The decision ignores the overwhelming opposition to the proposed closure identified in the consultation.

“There has been inadequate consideration of the rescue plan put forward to restructure the financial position of Startpoint Sholing Day Nursery.”

More than 400 people responded to a public consultation on the proposed closure and 95 per cent said they were opposed to the plan.

At the November cabinet meeting, GMB union representative Ali Haydor said the consultation sent a “clear” and “powerful” message to the council.

A council officer report said the nursery had deficits of more than £350,000 for each of the past three years, with a current forecast shortfall of £202,062 for 2024/25.

No new children had been offered a place in September given the “uncertainty” about the nursery’s future.

Shutting down the setting in Wood Close would cost £329,740 – £52,696 notice pay, £74,982 redundancy costs and the £202,062 budget deficit.

Cllr Alex Winning, cabinet member for children and learning, said the consultation was not a referendum.

At the cabinet meeting, he said: “This is a difficult decision and one that will be very emotive for residents and staff as well as previous users.

“Even when taking into account the feedback received during the consultation, there hasn’t been anything presented that would constitute the setting becoming financially sustainable.”

A potential future use for the building has not been decided.