THREE children's day nurseries in Huddersfield are to shut, it was confirmed last night.
Parents were left devastated after the decision at Kirklees Council's budget meeting.
Dozens of parents and children waving banners gathered on the steps of Huddersfield Town Hall to protest.
Council leaders pledged there would be no closures until replacement children's centres were built.
An expansion programme aims to double the number of children's centres over the next two years.
Clr Jim Dodds, the Tory Cabinet member in charge of children's services, said: "We will ensure continuity in providing new places locally.
"We are not talking about things happening overnight.
"By the time these proposals are phased in many of the children at the nurseries will have moved into mainstream education."
The nurseries being axed are Tiddleywinks at the Deighton Centre; the Sankofa on Great Northern Street, Hillhouse; and the Cambridge Road Nursery Centre.
Their closure was agreed in a budget backed by Tories, Liberal Democrats and Greens.
Labour bitterly opposed the move.
Clr Dodds said: "Some 40% of places are unfilled in these three nurseries, leaving 125 children on roll and costing the council a subsidy of £450,000 a year.
"That is very expensive."
He said 14 new children's centres had been built in Kirklees and a further 15 would be created by next year.
Clr Dodds added: "Far from cutting spending on children's nurseries and nursery provision, we are substantially increasing our commitment to meet what parents want now and in the future."
Labour leader Clr Mehboob Khan attacked the other three political groups for agreeing to the closures.
He said: "The new children's centres are not opening where the nurseries are.
"The subsidies in them are far higher than those for nurseries."
Independent councillor Jackie Grunsell said: "These cuts have been made without any consultation. They are very wrong."
