WIRRAL Council has told its members that a decision on its controversial – and now abandoned – library closure plans is expected to be made by the Government today.

An email from the authority's director of law, Bill Norman, said he had been told by the DCMS “that the Secretary of State’s Decision on the Libraries Inquiry has been made”.

The email was sent to all councillors early on Friday afternoon.

The council had planned to shut 11 of the borough's 24 libraries and replace them with neighbourhood centres.

The closures formed part of the council's Strategic Asset Review, in which it assessed all property owned and maintained by the authority against what it needs to offer its services. Other buildings deemed “surplus to requirements” are being transferred to community management.

However, a public inquiry was ordered by the previous Secretary of State, Andy Burnham, after a huge campaign against the library closures began.

The Government appointed Sue Charteris, a former council chief executive, to head the inquiry which heard evidence during two days of hearings during the summer.