Campaigners use crowdfunding in bid to challenge library plans

Campaigners seeking to challenge Barnet Council’s plans for the future of the area’s libraries service have used crowd-funding to obtain the funds to pay for preparatory work for a judicial review challenge including drawing up a pre-action protocol letter.

Save Barnet Libraries have accused the London borough of the “proposed wholesale removal of staff from Barnet libraries, a step which, if taken, will unlawfully discriminate against the young, disabled, and other legally protected groups who will no longer have proper access to their local libraries”.

According to the group, Barnet’s proposals include a £2.27m cut to the existing library budget, and a reduction in staffed hours from 634.5 to 188. The latter would make 46% of staff redundant, Save Barnet Libraries said.

The group claimed that a second consultation process was unfair and could not lead to a properly informed, non discriminatory decision on the future of the service.

It initially sought to raise £1,200 to pay for John Halford, a partner at Bindmans LLP, to gather evidence, advise the group and write the letter before action.

However, within a few days the group had raised – via Crowd Justice – some £3,312, more than its stretch target of £2,400, through 156 backers.