GOVERNMENT lawyers were last night examining the implications of Wirral Council’s decision to pre-empt a report into its planned library closures.
Sources at the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) indicated the council had effectively “headed us off at the pass” by announcing no library closures would take place – ahead of the release of a Government report into the council plans.
The dramatic announcement on Wednesday evening to revoke the controversial closure plans led to celebrations among many of those who had been involved in the protests.
Wirral Council leader Steve Foulkes denied pre-empting current Culture Secretary Ben Bradshaw’s decision, which will be based on the findings of a public inquiry.
However, indications from Whitehall were that the authority had “got wind the DCMS was within a day or two of publishing” the report and took action “at the eleventh hour”.
Wirral had planned to shut Higher Bebington, New Ferry, Ridgeway and Wallasey Village libraries beginning last April.
It would then have continued with Irby, Prenton and Seacombe, before the final closure of Hoylake and Eastham libraries, but this programme was put on hold after the Culture Secretary announced the inquiry.
Chaired by Sue Charteris, the inquiry was held at the Floral Pavilion in New Brighton over two days.
It was intended to examine Wirral’s plans to shut 11 of its 24 libraries and investigate whether the council’s plans were consistent with its statutory duties under the Public Libraries and Museums Act (1964) which charges all authorities with providing a “comprehensive and efficient” library service.
The report had been passed to the Secretary of State who was expected to maker a decision based on Ms Charteris’s recommendations imminently.
However, the announcement by council leader Steve Foulkes and deputy leader Simon Holbrook will now be taken as “additional evidence” to the inquiry and all those involved will be given extra time to comment. Cllr Foulkes said the reason for the change of heart was to provide a background of financial stability for planning the authority’s budget against difficult economic circumstances, rather than waiting for the public inquiry report which had been expected at the end of July.
