Wirral library cuts confirmed

A huge swathe of libraries, community centres and cultural facilities will be axed in Wirral, council leaders confirmed last night (15th January), reports the Liverpool Daily Echo, amid "chaotic scenes" at a meeting of the ruling Cabinet at Wallasey town hall.

Thirteen libraries were originally slated for closure, but now two more have been added to the list,  Eastham and Woodchurch libraries, even though these were not mentioned in the original consultation proposals.

The Echo notes that council leader Steve Foulkes partly back-tracked on some of the controversial plans (involving a leisure centre), but reiterated the need to make drastic cuts to leisure services, and the ruling Labour/Lib Dem cabinet agreed to press ahead with the majority of the closures.

"The meeting was held amid extraordinary scenes, with hundreds of people packed into the hall. They chanted, slow handclapped, blew whistles, and in some cases threw objects in the direction of where the councillors were to sit," reports the Echo.