Seacombe Library is occupied as protesters battle against cuts in opening hours across Wirral

Protestors were tonight staging an occupation in Seacombe Library to express their opposition to plans to reduce several libraries’ opening hours.

A group of 17, representing campaigning community group Wirral SOS and the TUC, entered the library shortly before it was due to close at 5pm.

The group, which includes a 12-week-old baby, have said that they intend to stay “indefinitely.”

Protestor Alec McFadden said: “We won a judicial review against closure of the libraries two years ago. Now they want to close it 50% of the time.

“The Labour group have said that if they win the election there’ll be more money to keep the libraries open – but that would still leave librarians redundant for a month.

“Our point is that the libraries should be kept open whatever happens.

“People use libraries, particularly poorer people who are here to use the computers for job searches.”

David Armstrong, acting chief executive of Wirral council, was tonight at the library talking to protestors.

He said: “It’s a group of people, they are being very quiet and very well-behaved and they are reading and they are making their point, and that’s fine.

“The only problem is that I have got a member of staff who finished at five who wants to go home.”

Mr Armstrong said he intended to negotiate with protestors to reach an agreement.

Merseyside Police confirmed that officers were attending the scene.

Source: Liverpool Echo

David Armstrong has secured a meeting between Phil Davies and two representatives from 'Wirral S.O.S' #Result

That's great news! Let's hope he listens. Well done to you all tonight.

Coronation Street comes to Seacombe.
Seriously if the opening hours are truncated will that really affect local people other than assisting to keeping council taxes lower than they could be?

YES.

Well done everyone involved

It was bound to happen; feelings are running high. I wonder if any other library users will follow suit?

When the Council invited suggestions for saving money I was at a loss as to everything the council does and a full list would have been really helpful. From what I read it seems that council's do a lot of stuff central government used to do but have never been given the financial wherewithall to carry that work out. Legislation has been made making anything harder to achieve and costing more to accomplish anything. The whole system needs addressing over the whole country.

I agree with you Moonstar, hopefully things will change for the better after the polls in a couple of months time.

Kirkby in Liverpool http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news...ather-knowsley-library-highlight-8666490

Maybe some of the people with time on their hands (for any reason there might be) could volunteer their services to help keep them open for people to use computers, if they feel this is so indispensable? How hard it it to keep an eye on a few computers?
Oh silly me, I forgot, that would be slave-labour wouldn't it.

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news...aign-group-8688201#ICID=sharebar_twitter

Protestors opposing cuts to library opening hours in Wirral have warned they are planning further action after an occupation of Seacombe library last week.

A group of 17 people representing campaigning community group Wirral SOS (Save Our Services) and the TUC began a sit-in at the library shortly before it closed at 5pm on Friday.

The protest came after the council approved plans to slash opening hours at 15 of Wirral’s libraries to 18 hours per week from March 2 as part of cost-cutting measures across the authority.

Following the occupation, two members of Wirral SOS were invited to meet with council leader Cllr Phil Davies and Seacombe Cllr Adrian Jones to discuss the issue.

But the group says that following a “disappointing” meeting on Wednesday, where three options they put forward to Cllr Davies to stave off the cut-backs were rejected, the council should now prepare for further occupations at other libraries.