Anger at meeting as Wirral Council forces through library closure plans

Feb 11 2009 by Lorna Hughes, Heswall News

HOYLAKE and Irby Libraries will close after Wirral Council pushed through its controversial closure plans on Monday night.

The full council approved the Labour-Liberal Democrat alliance’s 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 – Eastham councillors Dave Mitchell, Phil Gilchrist and Tom Harney, Oxton councillors Pat Williams and Paula Southwood and Bromborough’s Steve Niblock.

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

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

During the debate West Kirby and Thurstaston councillor David Elderton described the SAR proposals as “insensitive and grossly flawed”, while Hoylake and Meols councillor John Hale challenged council leader Steve Foulkes to attend Monday’s West Wirral area forum.

He said: “Will he explain to the people of Hoylake why it’s going to be easier for them to access West Kirby Concourse rather than their own library?

“They would love to see you there Steve.”

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 Cllr 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”.

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.