High Court hearing underway into proposed library cuts (From Gazette Series)

High Court hearing underway into proposed library cuts in Gloucestershire

11:56am Wednesday 28th September 2011 in News By Laura Williams

A HIGH Court hearing was underway this week over the proposed cuts to library services in Gloucestershire.

The hearing, which started in Birmingham on Tuesday, is due to finish tomorrow.

It relates to an ongoing battle between Friends of Gloucestershire Libraries (FOGL) and Gloucestershire County Council, which plans to close 10 libraries in the county and make major changes to library services at the remaining outlets in order to save £114million by 2014.

Helen Mountfield QC, speaking for the Friends, said the authority was "ignoring public opinion" and "failing to meet statutory obligations" to provide a proper library service.

Earlier this year, a High Court injunction was granted meaning the libraries will remain open until the outcome of the hearing. Library users in Wotton-under-Edge and Berkeley have already said they would look to run their libraries as community enterprises, should the council close them or cut services.

But they are awaiting the response of the High Court judge before steaming ahead with these plans, in the hope that they will be saved.