The campaign to save Lincolnshire libraries, which secured the support of Minnie Driver and other illustrious figures in the UK, appears to have won a major victory in its attempts to stop Lincolnshire County Council from cutting library funding by up to £2 million ($3.32 million). As reported in the Lincolnshire Echo, “the judge decided that there is sufficient evidence for the case to go to the High Court for a full judicial hearing and has issued an order giving permission for the case to be heard.”
Following the decision, Phil Dilks, spokesperson for Save Lincolnshire Libraries said: “The attack on libraries by the County Council has gone on long enough. With the Judge having decided that the case should go to Judicial Review, which we welcome, the Council needs to come to its senses and listen to the people of Lincolnshire. 25,000 people have signed our petition. It’s about time the Council listened to them. They should stop sacking staff and cutting library hours and work to provide a proper library service for the future.”
The grounds for the review include the contentions that Lincolnshire County Council held an unlawful consultation after already reaching a decision; failed to abide by the Equality Act by ensuring that harm caused by their decision was prevented; failed in its obligations under the Localism Act to properly consider a proposal by Greenwich Leisure Limited to run the service on a non-profit basis; and was in danger of breaching the national requirements for a comprehensive and efficient library service.
Save Lincolnshire Libraries claims at least 25,000 signatures so far to its petition to save the county’s library services.
