To see the Cabinet Decision and full list of closures  click here

Thursday night  was a terrible night for Wirral with the announcement of 11 libraries closing and countless community facilities facing the axe.

For Wirral West,  it was a  mixed night,  the Woodchurch Leisure Centre is to remain open which is terrific news (although the community centre is facing an uncertain future) as will Pensby library and Upton Library … at least for now….. whereas Hoylake Library, Irby Library and Woodchurch library are all set to close – disastrous for those local areas.

Rest assured for me the Fight continues to Save Our Local Facilities, in fact straight after the announcement I went out with colleagues and various members of community groups to discuss the best way forward and to put a strategy together to fight these closures.

I want to make the Conservative Party Position on Wirral quite clear on this matter, we believe in local facilities for local communities, so we will reopen whatever this Labour /Liberal Council close.

I have already been down to Parliament working with Jeremy Hunt MP, shadow minister for Culture and Ed Vaizey MP, spokesman for art and culture,  who have submitted an Early Day Motion regarding the disgraceful closure of libraries on Wirral.

Above Jeremy Hunt, Ed Vaizey and myself with the EDM

and below the EDM 

This House condemns the proposal put forward by the Liberal Democrat/LAbour co-alition on Wirral Borough Council to close thirteen libraries across the borough, as well as the Wirral Transport Museum and the Pacific Road Arts Centre; notes that two of the libraries ear-marked for closure serve two of the most disadvantaged communities in the UK; further notes that Birkenhead Central Library, a purpose built library dating back to the Thirties was recently renovated at considerable cost and that 70 library posts are under threat; agrees with Alan Gibbons from the Campaign for the Book that this is “cost-driven vandalism”; and with the leader of the Conservative Group on Wirral Borough Council Jeff Green that the proposals are “disgraceful”; and with the readers of Wirral News, 92 per cent of whom have voted on-line to say that the Council’s actions do not represent their views; and urges the Liberal Democrat and Labour councillors to think again about their proposals”.