Action against library cuts spreads to Doncaster

Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council has become the latest local authority to face a judicial review over its plans for library services.

The legal action is being brought on behalf of a local resident by Public Interest Lawyers.

In a statement on its website, campaign group Save Doncaster Libraries (SDL) said: “SDL has never said the public library service was perfect, we acknowledged improvements and changes were necessary.

“However we dispute this meant wholesale closure of Denaby and Carcroft and vehemently decry the change to Community Libraries of 12 others, whereby communities were forced to volunteer or lose them (closure by stealth).”

The group accused Doncaster of failing to carry out a proper consultation during the decision-making process. It also said alternatives put forward had not been considered by the local authority.

“For many months we have been warning the Mayor and his Cabinet that they were leaving themselves wide open to legal action, but they chose, at all stages, to ignore us,” it claimed.

The resident’s claim is being partly funded by the Legal Services Commission.

Public Interest Lawyers was the law firm behind the successful High Court challenge against cuts planned by Somerset and Gloucestershire county councils.

It is also bringing proceedings against Surrey County Council over its proposals for ten of its 52 libraries to be run by community volunteers.

Surrey unsuccessfully sought to have the claim thrown out and was expected to face a High Court hearing this week.

At a council meeting last night, Doncaster’s mayor, Peter Davies, put forward budget proposals designed to deliver £103m in gross savings from 2011/12 to 2014/15.