High Court judge hears first judicial review over planned library closures

A High Court judge has reserved judgment in the first judicial review case brought over a local authority’s planned library closures.

The case was brought by campaign group Brent SOS Libraries after the London Borough of Brent announced plans in April to close six libraries by September this year.

The campaign to stop the closures received high-profile backing from playwright and author Alan Bennett as well as the Pet Shop Boys and Depeche Mode.

Mr Justice Ouseley is expected to hand down his judgment in either early August or October.

Ahead of the hearing before this week, the campaigners’ solicitor John Halford of Bindmans said: “The Brent case is the first in which the courts will be asked to decide how local authorities should balance their desire to save money against local community needs for libraries and the fact that closures will generally hit the poor, children, older people, those with disabilities and ethnic minorities far harder than others.

“It also examines just what fairness demands when library closures are proposed. Here Brent had received a number of community-based rescue plans for the threatened libraries, but rather than engage with these alternatives dogmatically pressed ahead with its own closure plans. These important questions have to be answered – not just in Brent, but nationally.”

BBC Somerset has meanwhile reported that Lord Justice Beatson this week upheld an injunction against library closures in Somerset.

This will now stay in force until judicial review proceedings take place in September, in a joint hearing that will also deal with a case involving Gloucestershire County Council.

The Somerset and Gloucestershire cases – where the county councils want to withdraw funding for 11 and 10 libraries respectively – are being brought by law firm Public Interest Lawyers.