A COUNCIL has pledged to write to the parents of every child at two nurseries scheduled for closure.

Darlington Borough Council wants to close Eastbourne and Heathfield nurseries next April and create foundation stage departments at Dodmire Infant and Heathfield Primary schools.

Parents are planning to stage a demonstration against the plans at Eastbourne nursery.

Last night, a council spokesman defended the proposals and said parents with children at both nurseries and the two schools would receive letters asking for their views.

"Meetings have been arranged and there will be consultation with everyone involved which will run until January," he said.

"We understand that parents and teaching staff are going to be concerned and we are going to listen to them."

He said Eastbourne nursery was an old building that needed a lot of work.

"We cannot adapt it to modern requirements," he said.

"It is what is important for the kids that matters, not what is important for the local authority. We are trying to get them into buildings that are modern and safe."

Sue Bleasby, whose three-year-old son attends Eastbourne nursery, said: "It is a lovely nursery and it is set back in a quiet road, unlike Dodmire, which is on a main road. No one wants it to close -we have got about 300 signatures on a petition."