‘This is not the end’

Apr 8 2009 Wallasey News

CAMPAIGNERS are celebrating a temporary victory after the government’s public inquiry put library closures on hold.

With Wallasey Village Library just a day from closure and Seacombe a month away from issuing its final book, protesters have declared Andy Burnham’s last minute intervention “a vindication of everything we’ve done”.

Wirral Campaign Against Cuts (WCAC) has been meeting regularly to formulate a strategy as council chiefs remained unbowed, drawing support from a broad cross section of society and both sides of the political fence.

WCAC spokesman Alec McFadden told the News: “We asked for openness and transparency and all we got from the council was party block votes. As far as we’re concerned this is a vindication of everything we have done.”

Liscard Cllr Leah Fraser welcomed the turnaround and condemned the council’s initial consultation a “complete sham and utterly worthless”.

The Conservative MP said: “At last, somebody has seen sense and called a halt to these cuts.

“The massive public opposition to the Strategic Asset review (SAR) has outweighed arguments put forward by the administration.

“The Secretary of State has shown that he has as little faith in the council as the rest of us.

“We now await details of the inquiry, the first of its kind in almost 18 years. None of these libraries should close.

“As a community, we know the libraries provide so much more than books , they are vital in our attempts to improve literacy, numeracy and IT skills, often in some of the borough’s most deprived communities.”

Wallasey MP Angela Eagle hoped the intervention would “reassure” her constituents.

She said: “I think it’s a welcome thing to check whether the decision made is appropriate to the statutory duties.

“I don’t know what the result of it is going to be but I hope people will be reassured this is going on.”

The Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) has urged Wirral Council to reverse its decision, and welcomed Burnham’s intervention.

Leader of the CILIP council, Caroline Moss-Gibbons, said: “This news is what we have been working hard for.

“I am pleased the government has finally acted and responded to pressure from CILIP, library campaigners and a large number of local people.”