Local authority seeks to reverse “ambiguous” High Court injunction in libraries dispute

Surrey County Council is bidding to reverse a High Court injunction that blocked its plans for community partnered libraries.

Last Friday, Mr Justice Wyn Williams said the local authority should “take no irrevocable steps towards implementing the Community Partnered Libraries decision impugned in these proceedings until further order of this court”.

The injunction was imposed in a dispute over council plans that would see 10 of its 52 libraries run by volunteers. Campaign group Surrey Libraries Action Movement is seeking permission for judicial review.

Surrey said it was concerned that the injunction was ambiguous. It also argues that the court order did not prevent it from continuing to work with volunteers who have come forward.

Commenting on the decision to seek to reverse the injunction, Surrey’s Leader David Hodge said: “Our aim is to keep all of Surrey’s 52 libraries open and help them to thrive, while elsewhere in the country libraries are closing.

“The first community library is due to open in Byfleet in just over a week. Not only have volunteers put a lot of hard work into getting to this stage, but we believe these plans offer a good future for these libraries.”

Cllr Hodge added: “We understand some people don’t agree with our efforts to help communities run their libraries, but we have received a lot of support from people that understand we are doing what is best for Surrey’s libraries and the people who use them.”