Concerned residents fearing for the future of their libraries have been reassured ‘there are no done deals’ following a passionate Town Hall debate.
Campaigners from the Save Warrington’s Libraries group protested the current proposals and lobbied councillors outside the site ahead of Monday’s full council meeting.
Dina Kingsnorth-Baird, who is one of the lead campaigners, also presented a petition, which has secured more than 10,000 signatures, to the authority after pleading for the council and LiveWire to commit to retaining all existing library services.
She said: “I know that difficult decisions have to be taken when running a council and I know that you face substantial cuts to your budgets that you did not invite.
“I, and many others, have done what we have done for the last few months because we care deeply about a very special and important service that is permanently threatened.
“Some of the conditions that you operate within right now may be outside of your control. But the permanence of the threat to our libraries, and the nature of the threat to our libraries, are not necessary.
“This petition calls on you to dump the proposals that were put forward, but it also calls on you to start the consultation again, and run a proper consultation, working closely and genuinely with the public, to gather quality ideas that could safeguard our library network.
“I urge you to organise such an enquiry with the public and have a qualified and informed library expert run it.”
Cllr Tony Higgins, executive board member for leisure, community and culture, praised Save Warrington’s Libraries campaigners for their ongoing work and said he does not want to see library services ‘decimated’.
He added: “People realise that libraries do need to change – I want to kick-start the library services once again.
“I have had many sleepless nights with this process. I want to reassure everyone in this room that they are only proposals.
“We are talking about it like it is a done deal – nothing is decided, there are no done deals.”
Cllr Judith Wheeler (LD – Appleton) asked Cllr Higgins (LAB – Fairfield and Howley) if the LiveWire library report, due to be delivered this month, will be immediately available as a public document.
He replied: “The report will not be made available immediately – I need time to digest the information. It would not be sensible to do that.
“The council will take time to carefully consider the consultation document.
“Until I see that final report, sometime in March, nothing is decided.”
LiveWire again came in for criticism from politicians in the chamber, with Cllr Colin Froggatt (LAB – Poulton South) claiming the organisation is delivering a ‘coconut shy consultation’.
A petition calling on the council to keep Lymm Library open was also put forward and debated after receiving more than 4,260 signatures.
Mayor Cllr Faisal Rashid confirmed the petitions will be ‘taken into account’ and added to the consultation process.
Council chief executive Steven Broomhead has since said libraries ‘would not be replaced’ with lending lockers and insisted they would be an enhancement to get more people to use the services.
Article originally published by Warrington Guardian
