Parents are relieved that under-threat nursery provision at a Cambridge children's centre will remain in place for the coming year.

There was outrage earlier this year after funding cuts meant the Fields Children's Centre in Abbey would slash its opening hours.

Proposals also included closing a baby room for infants and opening the centre during school term-time only.

Upset parents warned they would be unable to cope if the changes went ahead.

The funding pressures arose from cuts enforced by central government and Cambridgeshire County Council - including a £900,000 cut to the region's overall children's centre budget.

But the centre's governing body has now written to parents saying that the worst of the feared changes are to be avoided.

The Fields Childrens Centre in Cambridge

The 'Poppy' baby room will no longer be closed and the centre will remain open to 6pm every day, except Mondays when it will shut at 4pm for staff planning.

To maintain this level of operation, fees charged to parents for various services will increase from July 1.

Head of the Fields centre, Rikke Waldau, said everybody involved with the centre had been working on a way for it to "pull through."

"Parents are contributing to that cost, but increasing the fees," she added.

"The other thing we have to do is seeking sponsorship from employers. We still have a long way to go to become sustainable.

Ms Waldau said the centre was confident of providing the current level of services until April 2019.

She added: "The issue has not gone away. As a service we still have a longer battle. We don't know what's going to happen from central government this year."

Valerie Ashton, who takes her a young son to the Fields centre

Valerie Ashton, a board member whose 21-month-old son visits the nursery, said: "People understand it's a tough situation.

"This is all applicable until April and then could change again.

"I feel a lot better. I feel like there's a lot more work to be done. It's not a sustainable situation at the moment. we could see cuts to hours next year unless we get funding."