Proposed by Councillor Jeff Green

Seconded by Councillor Lesley Rennie

Council notes:

• The plan to close eleven Wirral Libraries was announced over twelve months ago by the ruling Labour/Liberal Democrat Administration in a barely concealed and shameful attempt to shut the Wirral public out of the decision making process by avoiding the scrutiny and accountability of its decision at a Local Council Election.

• That the Sue Charteris Library Inquiry report together with its conclusions and recommendations made available to the public on 30th November, was placed in the hands of Council Officers and the Labour/Liberal Democrat Administration on 27th July and that Wirral Council Officers on 29^th September informed the Liberal Democrat/Labour Administration that the Secretary of State’s decision on the Administration’s Library Closure Plan was going to be announced on the 1st October.

• That a midnight meeting took place on the 29th September and that the Labour/Liberal Democrat Administration, having created so much distress to Wirral residents including some of our most vulnerable citizens and spent so much of Wirral residents own Council Tax on developing and defending the their library closure plan decided not to publicly acknowledge that through their own failings they had got the biggest decision in Wirral’s history wrong.

• The contrast between the way the ruling Liberal Democrat/Labour Administration has behaved over their Library Closure Plan and the professional and inclusive way Sue Charteris conducted her Inquiry could not be starker in that her report has laid bare the unwillingness of the Labour/Liberal Democrat Administration to listen to anyone who disagrees with them and the confused and incompetent decision making process currently in use by Council Officers and members of the administration.

Council believes the residents of Wirral

• Owe Sue Charteris a huge debt of gratitude as her report has exposed the way this administration has treated the Wirral public and how they disregarded the needs of the most vulnerable in our community.

• Will be disgusted that members of the Labour/Liberal Democrat Administration, knowing that their proposals would be deemed to be in breach of its statutory duties under the Public libraries and Museums Act 1964, thought only of their own skins and how to protect their own positions by using the cover of secrecy to mask the reasons for carrying out the biggest political ‘U’ turn in Wirral history and instead of being honest with Wirral residents chose to characterise their decision as a demonstration of ‘Decisive Leadership’.

• Will not forgive those Council Officers or members of the Labour/Liberal Democrat Administration who have brought such a stinging repudiation from Sue Charteris or forget that Sue Charteris’ Public Inquiry has exposed them for:

1. Making proposals that were in breach of the Council’s statutory duties under the Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964,

2.  Failing to make an assessment of local needs before deciding to close 11

libraries

3.  Specific needs for adults were not addressed. These include the specific

requirements for older people, disabled people, unemployed people, and

those living in deprived areas.

4.  Failing to demonstrate that it had due regard to the general requirements of

children which Sue Charteris considered to be a breach of its statutory duties.

5.  Taking the decision to close 11 of its libraries in the absence of a strategic

plan for or review of the Library Service.

6.  Making a decision without a clear understanding of the extent and range of

services currently being provided in the libraries.

7.  Making a decision, which Sue Charteris said was better described as an

indication of intent rather than a fully worked up plan, risked being a partial

response to need that would disadvantage relatively isolated and deprived

communities and was therefore considered to be a further breach in relation

to the needs of deprived communities.

8.  The absence of an adequate plan for and commitment to a comprehensive

outreach service.

9.  The Council displayed a lack of logic around why some facilities were

recommended for closure and not others.

10. Having identified an area of need but subsequently chose to ignore this

information:

11. Failing to meet its own standards in terms of a reasonable distance to travel.

Council demands:

(1) An annual library service report be produced by Wirral MBC and submitted every year for the next five years and instructs the Chief Executive to ensure that the report is circulated to the members of a Wirral wide Advisory Group and made available to the public of Wirral.

(2) That the Chief Executive, Leader and Deputy Leader of the Council write to Sue Charteris to thank her for the inclusive way she conducted the Public Inquiry and for producing such a clear and unambiguous report.

(3) That the Labour Leader and Liberal Democrat Deputy Leaders of the Council at long last issue an equally clear and unambiguous apology on behalf of themselves and their Groups, to Wirral residents Library staff and Library users for making a decision, so bereft of the use of evidence or common sense, to close eleven Libraries and seeking to hide the reasons for reversing this decision from them.

(4) That the Leader of the Liberal Democrats acknowledges that former Wirral

Mayors Councillors Pat Williams and Phil Gilchrist have been vindicated by Sue Charteris’ report and unreservedly apologises for their public humiliation

(5) That as the Labour/Liberal Democrat Cabinet coalition’s decision making process has been exposed for what it is, lacking an evidence base and being incompetent, it has lost any moral authority and is unworthy of any lingering trust from Wirral residents it should summon up what remnants of honour it can salvage from this whole sorry episode and resign immediately.

The motion was put to the vote and lost with the Council dividing as follows:

For the amendment (23)- Councillors C Blakeley, SL Clarke, WA Duffey, DM Elderton, Mrs L Fraser, JE Green, J Hale, Karen Hayes, Paul Hayes, AC Hodson, PSC Johnson, J Keeley, D Knowles, I Lewis, SR Mountney, C Povall, A Pritchard, Mrs LA Rennie, SL Rowlands, Sue Taylor, GCJ Watt, and S Williams.

Against the amendment (35) - Councillors RL Abbey, A Bridson,  I Coates, JA Crabtree, WJ Davies, George Davies, PL Davies, F Doyle, S Foulkes, G Gardiner, J George, SA Holbrook, AT Jennings, A Jones, SE Kelly, Brian Kenny,  Ann McLachlan, M McLaughlin, CM Meaden, GD Mitchell, RK Moon,  S Niblock, Jean Quinn, S Quinn, P Reisdorf, DE Roberts, H Smith,  PA Smith, WW Smith, PM Southwood, JV Stapleton, A Taylor, CM Teggin, R Wilkins, and KJ Williams.

Abstentions (3)  Councillors P Gilchrist, T Harney and P Williams

Resolved – That the motion be not approved.