The county council has appointed an independent agency to help run a public consultation on cuts to children’s centres across Buckinghamshire.

Over the summer BMG research will work with families and partner organisations to help design the public consultation – which is expected to officially launch in October this year.

The talks will run for 10 weeks and will give people the chance to have their say on how the future of the Early Help service is delivered, through surveys and public meetings.

In March Bucks County Council (BCC) abandoned plans to replace 35 children’s centres in the county with nine hubs, after families raised concerns over the proposals.

At the time cabinet member for children’s services, Warren Whyte, said the council recognised “strength of feeling” from residents, and more public meetings needed to take place before any plans were implemented.

Residents will also be asked to take part in research over the summer to ensure everyone accessing the Early Help services are fully represented.

Cllr Whyte said: “I am very pleased that we have BMG Research working on our behalf to provide impartial expertise and to talk with residents and organisations about their views on how services will be developed.

“We know that it can sometimes be complex for families to access the support they need when they need it and we want to make sure families receive the right support at the right time to prevent problems from getting worse.

“We consulted you about changing these services last year but recognised that our proposals needed to be more specific, especially with regard to our children’s centres.”

For more information on the consultation visit www.buckscc.gov.uk/earlyhelp