Library closures give council leader "sleepless nights"

Nov 28 2008 By Lorna Hughes

THE leader of Wirral Council says proposals to close twelve libraries and three sports centres on the borough have given him sleepless nights.

Labour's Steve Foulkes made the confession at a rowdy meeting of Wirral Council's cabinet last night (November 27) - prompting scornful laughter from angry audience members.

The heated meeting saw more than 100 members of the public pack into Wallasey Town Hall to see councillors decide the way forward for the controversial strategic asset review, which would see buildings like Birkenhead Central Library and Guinea Gap Baths close and arts events moved from Pacific Road Arts Centre to the Floral Pavilion.

Liberal Democrat leader Simon Holbrook spoke in support of the review but his comments about the "extremely high quality" redevelopment of Bebington Oval - which re-opens on Saturday after being closed for more than a year - prompted more loud laughter and jeers.

Unison members protested outside Wallasey Town Hall before the meeting, with one sign reading: 'Wirral Council's contribution to the National Year of Reading? Close the libraries'.

Cabinet members agreed to convene a special area forum conference "as soon as possible" for public debate and referred the matter to a special scrutiny committee.

After six weeks of public and staff consultation, councillors will make a decision on the proposals at another cabinet meeting on January 15.

Councillor Foulkes said he was prepared to talk to private sector groups with ideas for the future of some of the closure-threatened buildings - and revealed he had already been approached about the Birkenhead Central Library building on Borough Road.

He said: "There will be less assets at the end of this, that's something that's glaringly obvious and has been for some time. It's not something we take lightly.

"I've had so many sleepless nights over this report but I genuinely believe that we have to grasp the mettle on this. We need to work with staff and I think they will enjoy the end result, working in better appreciated, more used facilities.

"There will be anxiety because people have an attachment to buildings and they have an attachment to staff who work in those buildings.

"But the footfall that goes through some of the facilities is extremely low and I think it's difficult to justify them.

"You can bury your head in the sand and hope it goes away but I don't think this situation is one where we can do nothing."

The council currently faces a £10m backlog of repairs to its buildings – stock which was largely inherited in 1974 from five district councils which previously governed Wirral, each of which brought their own property portfolio.

Councillors say the authority must also tackle rising energy costs and a massive budget deficit, predicted to be £16.6m within a year and £12.7m in two years.

Cllr Foulkes said he would listen to any community group or private sector partner who could come up with other ideas for the buildings threatened with closure.

He added: "If the consultation comes back and people say that they don't want a central library anywhere but where Birkenhead Central Library is now then we will listen to that.

"But I think we need to talk again with private and public sector partners about the use of that building for something more suitable."

The council wants to invest £20m in creating "multi-purpose complexes" across the borough providing community, council and library services in partnership with other agencies like Wirral PCT.

Conservatives called the meeting a "sham".

Wirral Conservative leader Cllr Jeff Green, who was refused permission to address cabinet members on the proposals, said: "If Wirral doesn't do leisure, libraries and sports centres, what is the council there for?

"I thought that was a sham of a meeting. If this is the way this so-called consultation is going to run it's quite clear it's a done deal.

"This is an appalling day for Wirral Council."

Liscard Cllr Leah Fraser said the meeting would confirm the worst fears of community organisations across Wirral and criticised plans to hold the consultation over the busy Christmas and New Year period.

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