Council urged to save Bromborough Library and Civic Centre at Port Sunlight area forum

Jan 7 2009 By Lorna Hughes

Hulme Hall

MORE than 600 people were at Hulme Hall in Port Sunlight last night (Tuesday) for the second of four special area forum conferences to discuss Wirral Council's plans to close 14 libraries and three leisure centres.

Council leader Steve Foulkes, council chief executive Steve Maddox and director of regeneration Alan Stennard were booed and jeered for a second night running as they tried to defend the authority's Strategic Asset Review.

Most audience questions and comments focused on proposals to close Bromborough Civic Centre and Library - with one woman urging Cllr Foulkes to look into the eyes of her six-month-old daughter and explain his decision.

Another speaker warned him the closures would lead to him being labelled "the butcher of Wirral".

Roy Miles, chairman of Bromborough U3A, spoke on behalf of community groups using Bromborough Library.

He said: "We believe we have a well-used, very efficient library and Civic Centre.

"People really want local facilities, not great big Millennium Dome-type projects. No-one can convince me that if you build all these multi-purpose complexes they will cost less money than maintaining or upgrading our current facilities - which are very good."

Cllr Foulkes revealed the council had originally intended to carry out the review in stages.

He said: "I can't promise you that we'll leave everything unscathed - I don't think that really is an option for us given the budget situation we find ourselves in."