"MEAN and nasty" county council changes on waiving rents to help communities run children's centres could finish off their hopes of survival, campaigners warn.

Councillors and parents have hit out at plans to only offer groups a rent-free first six months after a motion was initially put forward for rents to be waived for the entire year.

This was later amended, with the council agreeing in November to 'waive rental charges where this will keep a centre open that would otherwise be forced to close'.

And a new plan - which could be ratified tomorrow - would see this help offered for six months, and not a full year.

After the six-month period - which begins once funding to 31 of 44 centres is cut in April - some centres could then face rents upward of £30,000 a year they move in line with the policy of 50 per cent of the commercial rate for the property.

Oxfordshire County Council said the rent-free period - to be decided on by cabinet tomorrow - would give groups 'every chance to get up and running with sustainable schemes'.

But councillor David Williams, of the Green Party, who initially called for the year-long break, said the change of heart undermined last month's decision.

He said: "It's devastating for those who are working so hard to put together business plans and going cap in hand to organisations and charities looking for financial support.

"As former trustee of Donnington Doorstep Family Centre, I know charities and voluntary organisation will not donate if you can't guarantee you will stay open.

He added: "It's diabolical, mean and nasty and especially in the run to Christmas - what does it say about supporting parents and young children."

The decision to cut funding to children's centres was made in February in order to save £8m.

In order to keep many open, communities have been encouraged to work together to takeover services with many putting businesses cases together to bid for a £1m council cash pot.

The rent-free period would apply to council-owned centres whose business cases would not otherwise be viable.

Save Oxfordshire's Children's Centres campaigner Jill Huish said: "Cutting the free rent off at six months decision could finish us off - most of us are preparing to put our business plans in and it feels like we have had no help from the council.

"Groups are talking with charities and organisations but we still don't know what are costs will be."

The proposal to cut the rent-free period is in a report set go before cabinet written by acting director for Environment and Economy Bev Hindle which argues the council had a legal responsibility and financial need to get the best value from its property portfolio.

To help groups make the transition, the county council has created a £1m transition fund to be shared by the groups but to qualify for the a block of the funding business cases must be in by January.

Ms Huish says the late decision to alter the free rent period means this deadline will be very hard to meet.

She said: "We need to get our plans in by January 9 but understandably we want it sorted before Christmas but this revelation makes it even harder.

"Otherwise there will be gaps in services after April and families could become invisible and the next time you see them the children could have gone into care."

Cabinet will decide on the proposals to limit the rent-free period to six months at a meeting tomorrow but labour leader Liz Brighouse said there shouldn't be a cut off point.

She said: "There is a lot of anger about this and I'm not sure why there is a maximum time limit at all.

"The idea was that we should be helping those centres that wouldn't be able to survive otherwise, and that help should be available for as long as it's needed."

The group working to save the Red Kite Children's Centre in Thame got there business plan in early and were one of six successful bids in the first round of transition fund money and will be awarded £10,000 a year for the next three years.

But John Hulett, spokesman for the group, said: "We are going to be charged £6,600 so immediately two-thirds of the council's fund will go straight back to the council.

"It's going to be a lot harder now - the council need to be doing everything they can to keep these centres open and I don't think they are."

Oxfordshire County Council spokesman Owen Morton said: "The council is proposing to extend the transition funding application process and continue to support groups beyond April 1, including the option of a short rent-free period of up to six month, where necessary to help community schemes get off the ground.

"This will help ensure all the funding is used for its intended purpose and give groups every chance to get and running with sustainable schemes."