Forums Forums Local News DECISION DAY FOR LIBRARIES

THE future of fourteen Wirral libraries, three of our leisure centres, two museums and a theatre will be decided upon this week.

Twenty village halls and community centres throughout the borough will also learn their fate in what promises to be a stormy meeting of Wirral Council's ruling 'cabinet' committee this Thursday evening.

Just ten councillors - five Labour and five Liberal Democrat - will cast their vote on proposals which, if agreed, will see all of those facilities close from as early as March.

Petitions against the controversial restructuring plan - proposed after a £100,000 review of the council's assets by an outside contractor - have gathered more than 22,000 signatures of support.

And over 2,500 people attended four Wirral-wide forums chaired by council leader Steve Foulkes to voice their objections.

The council wants to replace the facilities by investing £20m in "fewer but better" buildings. But the scheme has been condemned as "the wholesale slaughter" of public services by Wirral West MP Stephen Hesford.

Earlier this week there was a suggestion that Guinea Gap and Woodchurch leisure centres may win a two-year stay of execution, and that some of the libraries facing the axe could be transferred into "community control".

The committee meeting, which is open to the public, starts at 6.15pm on Thursday at Wallasey Town Hall.

I've heard the tale about a possible stay of execution for Guinea Gap too, and it came from a reliable source.

hmmmmm interesting

11 libraries and a leisure centre to close

Beechwood, Eastham, Higher Bebington, Hoylake, Irby, New Ferry, Prenton, Ridgeway, Seacombe and Wallasey Village libraries will all shut.

They will be joined by Eastham and Woodchurch libraries, which were not part of the original proposal, and Grange Road West sports centre, in Birkenhead.

But Woodchurch leisure centre and Upton and Pensby libraries were given a last-minute reprieve by councillors.

Guinea Gap baths in Wallasey will stay open for another two years and Birkenhead central library will not close, although a different use will be found for the building if a new purpose-built library is created.

All the buildings earmarked for closure are now open to expressions of interest from community groups wanting to take on the task of running them.

The council plans to develop five new multi-purpose complexes in Bebington, Birkenhead, Liscard, Moreton and West Kirby.

Struggling to be heard over the whistles of a furious 400-strong crowd at a packed Wallasey town hall, council leader Steve Foulkes said they had listened to the public, but serious action was needed to balance Wirral’s books.

Ignoring chants of “who are you?”, several paper planes and a blood-soaked placard of his face, he added that the package would include £1.8m of “transitional funding”.

Cllr Foulkes said the shortfall from the original plan created by the reprieves would be picked up by council taxpayers.