Proposed by Councillor Steve Foulkes

Seconded by Councillor Phil Davies

(1) Council welcomes the statement by the Secretary of State on the libraries inquiry and the fact that it does not find Wirral in breach of its statutory duty.

(2) Council also welcomes the National Library Review launched by the minister, Margaret Hodge, on December 2nd with a series of essays designed to provoke debate on the national future of the library service. Council notes that in her contribution the minister outlined the problems libraries are facing, including steadily declining numbers of users and the major challenges presented by rapidly changing technology and the advent of e-books. Council confirms that it will be watching very closely to see what kind of recommendations emerge and what lessons we can learn for the future.

(3) Council also recognises that Wirral’s original plans to invest £20m in new and modernised neighbourhood centres was a response to some of the challenges outlined by the minister, with plans to co-locate with other services, install the latest technology, provide community space for activities, open longer and more user friendly hours, and create a much more widespread outreach service.

(4) Council believes that the decision to rescind the original plans, which was

welcomed by the Secretary of State, has provided the necessary time to take stock of the situation, wait for any national guidance, and consider carefully the best long term future for Wirral’s library service.

(5) However, Council believes there are both winners and losers in this situation. Those who lobbied to keep their local library open, have what they want, but the silent majority who do not use their library, who do not want to see their council tax increase, and who might have used one of the new neighbourhood centres because they were more attractive, more conveniently located and open longer hours are clearly the losers.

(6) Council recognises that the decision to rescind the original plans was also not without serious budgetary consequences, costing £2.3m next year, which is the equivalent of a 2% Council Tax increase, and another £2.4m over the next three years for major repairs which will mean either increased council tax levels or cuts in services elsewhere.

(7) Council is acutely aware that between 2011 and 2014 this Council will need to save a minimum of over £67m and that the limited resources the Council has will need to be shared out to meet a whole host of demands, some of which are literally matters of life and death.

(8) Council believes we will have no option but to change and that continued

opposition to any form of change will seriously damage the future of the borough and drive away potential investors. Council therefore welcomes any national debate which creates a climate in which change is welcomed as a way forward, rather than a threat to what we have now.

(9) In contrast, Council condemns the irresponsibility of those who play on people’s natural fears of change to further their own political ends, and who pretend that our services can continue to operate just as they do now without any consequences for the future.

(10) Council calls on the Conservatives to come clean and tell the voters just how they intend to balance the books in the difficult times ahead.

AMENDMENT

Proposed by Councillor Simon Holbrook

Seconded by Councillor Bob Moon

Add to end of paragraph (1)

Council also notes the publication of the Inquiry Report. Council notes that this brings to an end a regrettably prolonged period of uncertainty concerning the future of libraries, but recognises that this in part arose from the duty of confidentiality imposed on the Council by the Secretary of State.

Delete paragraphs (5) and (6) and replace with

(5) Council agrees with the National Review essayists who believe that change is needed to ensure the long term future and shape of library services. However, Council recognises the need to build a new consensus on developing a library service that both meets people’s needs and is affordable.

(6) Council commits to keeping all libraries open until such time as the completion of the Government’s National Library Review and the publication of its outcome. Council commits to the fullest public consultation on the development of sustainable plans thereafter.

(7) Council notes that keeping all libraries open will result in an additional cost of £2.3m to Wirral’s Council Tax Payers through costs incurred and not budgeted for in the current financial year and the ongoing cost of maintaining the existing library service in the next financial year.

Renumber paragraph (7) as (8) – delete rest of motion and add

(9) Council resolves to ensure that future large scale change projects are subject to more robust methods for the development of ideas, the sharing of those ideas with stakeholders, and for the views of stakeholders to be allowed to properly influence the shape of final decisions, and agrees to take into account the issues raised in the Inquiry Report in so far as they relate to these matters.

(10) Council believes that local authorities, who are accountable to local people, are ultimately best placed to take these difficult decisions over the provision of local services including libraries; balancing available resources and the needs of local people. And calls on all Parties to be straight with the people on how they plan to exercise these difficult judgements in the tough times ahead.

The amendment was accepted as a friendly amendment to the motion.

The motion, as now amended, was put to the vote and carried (38:23).

Resolved – That the motion, as now amended and set out below, be approved.

(1) Council welcomes the statement by the Secretary of State on the libraries inquiry and the fact that it does not find Wirral in breach of its statutory duty. Council also notes the publication of the Inquiry Report. Council notes that this brings to an end a regrettably prolonged period of uncertainty concerning the future of libraries, but recognises that this in part arose from the duty of confidentiality imposed on the Council by the Secretary of State.

(2) Council also welcomes the National Library Review launched by the minister, Margaret Hodge, on December 2nd with a series of essays designed to provoke debate on the national future of the library service. Council notes that in her contribution the minister outlined the problems libraries are facing, including steadily declining numbers of users and the major challenges presented by rapidly changing technology and the advent of e-books. Council confirms that it will be watching very closely to see what kind of recommendations emerge and what lessons we can learn for the future.

(3) Council also recognises that Wirral’s original plans to invest £20m in new and modernised neighbourhood centres was a response to some of the challenges outlined by the minister, with plans to co-locate with other services, install the latest technology, provide community space for activities, open longer and more user friendly hours, and create a much more widespread outreach service.

(4) Council believes that the decision to rescind the original plans, which was

welcomed by the Secretary of State, has provided the necessary time to take stock of the situation, wait for any national guidance, and consider carefully the best long term future for Wirral’s library service.

(5) Council agrees with the National Review essayists who believe that change is needed to ensure the long term future and shape of library services. However, Council recognises the need to build a new consensus on developing a library service that both meets people’s needs and is affordable.

(6) Council commits to keeping all libraries open until such time as the completion of the Government’s National Library Review and the publication of its outcome. Council commits to the fullest public consultation on the development of sustainable plans thereafter.

(7) Council notes that keeping all libraries open will result in an additional cost of £2.3m to Wirral’s Council Tax Payers through costs incurred and not budgeted for in the current financial year and the ongoing cost of maintaining the existing library service in the next financial year.

(8) Council is acutely aware that between 2011 and 2014 this Council will need to save a minimum of over £67m and that the limited resources the Council has will need to be shared out to meet a whole host of demands, some of which are literally matters of life and death.

(9) Council resolves to ensure that future large scale change projects are subject to more robust methods for the development of ideas, the sharing of those ideas with stakeholders, and for the views of stakeholders to be allowed to properly influence the shape of final decisions, and agrees to take into account the issues raised in the Inquiry Report in so far as they relate to these matters.

(10) Council believes that local authorities, who are accountable to local people, are ultimately best placed to take these difficult decisions over the provision of local services including libraries; balancing available resources and the needs of local people. And calls on all Parties to be straight with the people on how they plan to exercise these difficult judgements in the tough times ahead.