Anger as Wirral library closures are forced through despite protests

Feb 11 2009 by Lorna Hughes, Birkenhead News

library

BEECHWOOD, Prenton, Woodchurch and Ridgeway Libraries will close after Wirral Council pushed through its controversial closure plans on Monday night.

The full council approved the Labour-Liberal Democrat Strategic Asset Review (SAR), which will now see 11 libraries closed and other cultural facilities transferred into community ownership.

The rowdy four-hour meeting at Wallasey Town Hall saw Labour councillors all vote in favour of the plan.

At one point six Liberal Democrats were opposing their leadership – including Oxton councillors Pat Williams and Paula Southwood.

The other rebels were Eastham councillors Dave Mitchell, Phil Gilchrist and Tom Harney and Bromborough’s Steve Niblock.

The night even saw Cllr Harney voting with the Conservatives on their objection to the SAR.

Liberal Democrat leader Simon Holbrook described their actions as “disappointing”.

During the debate Cllr Pat Williams said: “Quite clearly people have made their opposition to the SAR very well known – they particularly value their libraries and want them to remain within their communities. I was elected to represent the people of Oxton, who have told me in no uncertain terms that they are opposed to the SAR decision. I agree with them.”

The meeting had to be suspended several times because of interruptions from the public gallery, with one woman being asked to leave by Mayor Cllr Adrian Jones.

Councillors were jeered and taunted throughout the meeting, with one man calling council leader Steve Foulkes a “cultural terrorist” and shouts of “out, out, out” after he made his speech.

Conservative leader Jeff Green accused Labour and the Lib Dems of being “cavalier in the way they have treated some of the most vulnerable people in the community”.

He said: “The treatment of Eastham and Woodchurch Libraries is outrageous – they weren’t even on a list for the consultation but they just added them on. This is totally appalling and when the leader of the council comes to speak he should have the good grace to apologise.”

Cllr Foulkes apologised later in the meeting after calling Phil Gilchrist – a councillor for 30 years – “naive” and telling Alec McFadden, president of Merseyside TUC, to “shut your mouth”.

He said: “Like everyone else in this room I’m passionate about what we do for our people. We’ve told it straight and we’ve not hidden anything away. My job has always been to make council tax in Wirral one of the cheaper ones in the country. What we need to do now is to move together as a community to the next stage.”

l A meeting, organised by Merseyside TUC, will be held at the Mersey Advice Centre on St Anne’s Street, Birkenhead, at 7.30pm on Thursday, to plan the rest of the campaign against the library closures.