Keeping 11 Wirral libraries open would cost £68,000 a month hears inquiry

Jun 10 2009 Birkenhead News

Wirral libraries protestor

KEEPING 11 Wirral libraries facing the axe open would cost £68,000 a month, according to the council’s director of regeneration Alan Stennard.

He made the revelation as an inquiry into the proposals opened at the Floral Pavilion in New Brighton yesterday (Tuesday).

Around 150 people packed into the conference hall at the theatre to hear evidence from Wirral Council, Wirral Conservative leader Jeff Green, Wirral West MP Stephen Hesford, Eastham councillor Phil Gilchrist and Alec McFadden, secretary of Merseyside TUC.

Also speaking in the opening hours of the inquiry were Jane Davis, founder of the Reader Organisation, academic Professor Robert Lee and Jane Edwards of Unison.

Government-appointed inspector Sue Charteris opened the inquiry by thanking all those she had spoken to over the last few weeks and making a plea for speakers not to make political statements.

As a result Mr Stennard made his statement in near silence, although there was warm applause for those who spoke in favour of keeping the libraries open.

Mr Stennard said that “rationalising” the libraries would generate revenue savings of £0.8m a year for the council. He said the council’s budget estimate “for running 24 libraries in 2009/10 is £6,418,500 but with 13 libraries this goes £5,542,400.”

He added that delaying the library element of the council’s controversial Strategic Asset Review (SAR) would cost the council £68,000 a month.

Alec McFadden, secretary of Merseyside TUC, had some of his comments struck from the record after Ms Charteris said they were “unfair”. He said: “Libraries should be within walking distance, easy to get to with prams and wheelchairs and not cost £8 on a return trip on two buses.”

The only MP offered an opportunity to officially register their views was Wirral WestLabour representative Stephen Hesford.

He was forthright in his condemnation of the “fundamentally flawed” strategic asset review (SAR).

Mr Hesford slammed the SAR as “solely budget-led”, “purely about buildings and not services” and “an example of corporate vandalism”.

The Labour MP demanded “a re-run of the whole process”.

But even as the inquiry began, concerns were being raised about its scope, after Wirral Council was given the right to cross-examine, while those in opposition were denied the opportunity.

Barrister Jeff Clarke is currently pursuing a judicial review of the consultation, a course separate to this week’s inquiry.

l For a full timeline of what will happen next and when a final decision is expected, log on to www.wirralnews.co.uk