County council faces second judicial review challenge over libraries plan

Local activists are planning a second judicial review action against Lincolnshire County Council over the future of libraries.

Save Lincolnshire Libraries said that under council plans the present 47 libraries would drop to 15, with the remaining 15 likely to see their operation put out to tender.

The other libraries would be offered to voluntary groups or replaced by a mobile service.

Volunteer groups would receive a one-off payment of up to £15,000 and £5,167 per year for operational costs.

According to the group, this plan is “fundamentally no different to the plan decided upon in December 2013”, which was quashed by the High Court in July 2014 because of flaws in decision making and consultation.

Tony McGinty, the council’s public health consultant, whose responsibilities include libraries, said: “We are very disappointed to receive another challenge.

“The council has yet to receive the details, but will be preparing the strongest possible defence once it has done so.”

He said the council had addressed the issues raised in last year’s judicial review and that the Department for Culture, Media and Sport had said the proposed model met the council’s legal duties to provide a library service.

McGinty added: “We can’t ignore the fact that by the end of this decade the council’s overall budget will have been almost halved. We believe it’s only fair that the library service plays its part in finding the necessary savings.

“However, under our proposals, we can do this in a way that both saves money and creates a more modern and appropriate service.”

Mark Smulian