CAMPAIGNERS who fought a long-running battle with the Isle of Wight Council over cutbacks to its library service have welcomed a ruling by a high court judge, who said proposals by Somerset and Gloucestershire councils to shut 21 libraries were 'unlawful’.
Somerset County Council had wanted to withdraw funding for 11 libraries and Gloucestershire County Council wished to stop funding ten libraries.
At the High Court last week, Judge Martin McKenna said the closures did not comply with 'public sector equality duties’ to vulnerable social groups.
However, the Isle of Wight Council told the County Press the ruling did not apply to the Isle of Wight Council’s controversial library closure proposals as a legal challenge to the decision was rejected by the high court.
Earlier this year, campaigners had their bid to mount a legal challenge to the cuts thrown out by a judge. The court ruled they had delayed too long in seeking a judicial review of the council’s proposals. Judge David Pearl added the council had approached the decision-making process on closing the libraries with an open mind and could not have been said to have acted unlawfully. The libraries are now being run by voluntary groups.
Dave Quigley, from the Friends of the Isle of Wight Library Service, said the latest ruling gave fresh hope to campaigners. He added the group was looking at joining forces with mainland groups to try to reverse closures.
He said: "There are moves on a national basis to get the government into court for a judicial review."
In a separate move, Parliament’s Culture, Media and Sport scrutiny committee is to hold an inquiry into library closures. The cross-party committee will have the power to call local authorities to give evidence.
Isle of Wight Council cabinet member for libraries Cllr Barry Abraham said the challenges against the mainland councils were against their procedures, which were done correctly on the Island.
Reporter: davidn@iwcpmail.co.uk