Somerset library services to be reinstated (From Yeovil Express)
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Somerset library services to be reinstated
6:30am Thursday 5th January 2012 in News
Somerset library services to be reinstated
LIBRARY users in Somerset are celebrating after council officers recommended that all services which had faced the axe should be reinstated.
Somerset County Council lost a High Court challenge from campaigners last year against its plans to cut funding from 11 libraries, reduce opening hours at others and scrap some of its mobile library routes.
A judge ruled the authority's consultation over the closures had been unlawful.
Now, council officers have recommended the authority reinstates all services to “ensure the council is compliant with the requirements of the court judgement”, meaning the axe has been lifted from centres including Priorswood in Taunton and Bishops Lydeard. The recommendation is expected to be rubber-stamped next week.
John Irven, from the Friends of Somerset Libraries, said: “We are very pleased indeed. It is the news everybody had been hoping for.
“It should be remembered that the council is not doing this out of the goodness of its heart - the court judgement said it has to.
"What we need to make sure of is that the council doesn't come back with a very similar package of cuts later in the year.”
Mr Irven said FoSL was happy to assist the council in finding cost savings which would not impact heavily on library users.
Bishops Lydeard parish councillor Mike Rigby said he was “thrilled” that the village's centre was no longer under threat of closure.
He said: “When the court ruling went against the council I was expecting it to simply re-run the consultation, rather than roll back entirely.
“Our library is a vital community facility. The idea that busy parents would be willing to drive or get the bus into Taunton to visit the library is unrealistic.”
The proposals also include spending £600,000 on new self-service machines at busy centres including Taunton and Wellington.
A final decision on the recommendations is expected next week, with increased opening hours at some centres potentially coming into effect from January 17.
A spokesman for Somerset County Council said: “The decision to be taken on January 11 would confirm our actions to restore library services, in response to the Judicial Review judgment.
"The decision will also approve work to deliver self-service technology at some of our busiest libraries.
It would also approve the council's approach to deciding the future funding of the library service - that elected members should consider taking a fresh decision following a service review scheduled to start in April.”
Comments(15)
grisleyreg
says...
10:33am Thu 5 Jan 12
Mike Rigby
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10:51am Thu 5 Jan 12
Iain McFarlane
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11:53am Thu 5 Jan 12
Mike Rigby wrote:Agreed Mike, when considering the savings from here at Priorswood you've got to take into account the community hub the Library is a valuable part of. The library is no longer just about books. Whether it's providing a quiet space with a computer for pupils doing homework, or for older members of the community to get out of their homes to meet for a group, libraries have so much (and much more) to offer...if only the County would publicise what services it provides and encouraged the development of it's more imaginative uses as a community space, then the general public might then see just how valuable they are and could be.
Fab news. Saving £15,000 by axing our library in Bishops Lydeard is not going to make any significant difference to SCC's budget. It's an important local facility, particularly well-used by children and elderly people and its continued existence is welcomed by many local people. The closures were a bone-headed plan, executed by the Council illegally and this is the only just and sensible outcome.
grisleyreg
says...
1:30pm Thu 5 Jan 12
Olires
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3:31pm Thu 5 Jan 12
jimee
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3:48pm Thu 5 Jan 12
mayrose
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9:19pm Thu 5 Jan 12
BaldCarl2
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9:51pm Thu 5 Jan 12
No wonder Mike Rigby is as happy as a dog with two dicks.
Mike Rigby
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10:09am Fri 6 Jan 12
BaldCarl2 wrote:If you'd love it so much, why don't you do it?
I'd love to be a councillor. Spending other peoples money.
No wonder Mike Rigby is as happy as a dog with two dicks.
Bruce from Woolloomoo
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4:40pm Fri 6 Jan 12
Mike Rigby wrote:WOWZERS, i have to agree with you on this one Mike.
Fab news. Saving £15,000 by axing our library in Bishops Lydeard is not going to make any significant difference to SCC's budget. It's an important local facility, particularly well-used by children and elderly people and its continued existence is welcomed by many local people. The closures were a bone-headed plan, executed by the Council illegally and this is the only just and sensible outcome.
BaldCarl2
says...
9:22pm Mon 9 Jan 12
I may well do one day. At the moment though, most of my time is taken up with a demanding job and a young family.
Still, I suppose somebody has to pick up the tab for all of this.
Mike Rigby
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11:55am Tue 10 Jan 12
joe3945
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4:52pm Wed 11 Jan 12
joe3945
says...
4:53pm Wed 11 Jan 12
Thurza says...
9:48am Thu 5 Jan 12