Library closure plans ‘on pause’ after last-minute legal challenge launched

A council’s plans to close 10 libraries are “on pause” pending a “last-minute legal challenge”.

Caerphilly council’s leader called the news “disappointing” and threatened other service areas could face cuts as a consequence.

The council was preparing to close ten smaller libraries at the end of August as part of cost-cutting measures described as a “bold new vision” for the service.

It argued it could provide a better service at a smaller number of “hubs” where normal library functions would sit alongside services from the council and other organisations.

But the move has proved contentious among communities affected by the closures, who fear they may be sent “back to Victorian times”.

Judicial review

Today (Thursday August 21), the council confirmed its plans were on hold after an application for a judicial review was lodged.

“We have decided to pause our plans to create a resilient and sustainable library service, in light of this legal challenge,” said Cllr Carol Andrews, the cabinet member responsible for libraries.

“This does not change our intention to implement our new vision for the library service, but we must allow the appropriate legal process to progress,” she added.

Cllr Sean Morgan, who leads Caerphilly County Borough Council, called the legal challenge “disappointing but not surprising”.

He backed the proposed closures, which he said would help save money, and added the council will “obviously defend” the plans in light of the legal challenge.

Community groups

“The real shame here is that the council has been in discussion with a number of community groups, who had come forward to take ownership of the library sites that were due to close – and their plans looked really exciting,” said Cllr Morgan.

“We will continue to work with these groups to consider the impact of this decision and hope they remain interested as the legal process moves forward.

“This delay will also impact our savings targets, as the library review would have helped us achieve significant financial savings. We will obviously need to identify cuts in other services if our plans cannot proceed.”

The council has proposed using Community Asset Transfers (CATs) to hand over the control of the ten libraries to community groups.

Expressions of interest have been made for several sites, but the process has also been criticised by some who feel the council should have moved more quickly to ensure the libraries could be handed over without sites needing to close at the end of August.

One resident, who opposes the library closure plans, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service it would be “intolerable and stupid” to close the at-risk libraries and remove equipment, only to expect community groups to reopen them a short time later.

Fight

Mariam Kamish, Secretary of Caerphilly Trades Union Council, which has backed the campaign to save the libraries said: “We knew we couldn’t let these libraries close without a fight.  It has been widely reported in the last few days that Caerphilly Borough Council spent more than £800,000.00 on staff Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) in the 2024/25 financial year, and campaigners can’t help wondering what is happening internally that the council doesn’t want the public to know about. We’d like to see that level of spending on our local libraries and leisure centres”.

She added: “We have said from day one, ‘we’ll fight until we win’. We want to thank all the campaigners who’ve been fighting for months, our supporters in the trade unions, rebel councillor Brenda Miles, the press who’ve been covering the story – and of course, the activist taking the case to court, and Craig Court and Ryan Martyn of Harding Evans who are handling the case”.

Cllr Nigel Dix, who leads Caerphilly Council’s independent group, said the proposals to close the libraries, despite the public opposition, was “what this council does – they don’t listen to the people, they just decide what they are going to do and force it through”.

“Thankfully the people of Caerphilly are not pushovers and will fight,” he added. “The law is there to make sure the council adheres to the process, and doesn’t railroad things through.”