Wirral MP blasts "slash and burn" plans by Wirral Council

Dec 1 2008 By Staff Reporter

WIRRAL West MP Stephen Hesford has accused Wirral Council of a “slash and burn review” over its proposals to close down numerous facilities.

Earlier this week, Wirral Council confirmed it was planning to close up to 14 libraries, two museums and a theatre, as well as other council buildings.

Citing budgetary pressures, the authority said it planned to modernise its services and invest £20m in new centres which it said would better meet the needs of the borough’s population.

But at an emergency meeting with council leaders and all four of the borough’s MPs last night, Mr Hesford slammed the proposals and called on the plans to be halted.

He said: “It was a fraught meeting and I expressed real anger at both the way the announcement had been made and also the way this so-called asset review has been conducted.

“What started out as a legitimate exercise turned into a slash- and-burn review of services which makes it quite unacceptable.”

The meeting involved all four Wirral MPs, senior councillors and officers of the authority, with a presentation by Wirral Council chief executive Stephen Maddox.

Mr Hesford said he had written to council leader Steve Foulkes and said: “I have asked that the review be suspended so that all parties, including the public, can be brought in and have an open discussion about where this should go.

“There are budgetary pressures and quite a lot of this is driven by those, and there is a discussion to be had. But I want them to think again.”