ONLINE EXCLUSIVE: Wirral's library closures U-turn was announced 24 hours before Government ruling (From Wirral Globe)

ONLINE EXCLUSIVE: Wirral's library closures U-turn was announced 24 hours before Government ruling

THE SUDDEN U-turn to halt the closure of eleven Wirral libraries was made within hours of the council learning that the Government was about to publish its findings of an inquiry into the controversy, the Globe can reveal.

The Charteris report into Wirral library closure plan remains secret

On Tuesday, September 29, the council's press team was told by its counterparts in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport that an announcement was imminent.

In an email sent today to Conservative group leader Jeff Green, the council's director of law Bill Norman said the press office were told the announcement, by Secretary of State Ben Bradshaw, was "70 per cent likely" to be made on Thursday, October 1.

That night, September 29, members of the council's ruling Lib-Lab cabinet committee held a late night meeting at Wallasey Town Hall.

Also in attendance, although not in the actual meeting, were four senior council officers including the deputy chief executive, the regeneration director and the head of the press office, said Mr Norman.

Wirral Council leader Steve Foulkes

Shortly before 6pm the following day - Wednesday, September 30 - the media were alerted to a statement from the Lib-Lab cabinet that the library closure programme was being scrapped.

They said the length of the inquiry had meant any cost savings they were hoping to make - and reinvest in "fewer but better" multi-purpose facilities borough-wide - had been lost.

Tonight council leader and Labour group leader Steve Foulkes said he had not seen the email from Mr Norman to Cllr Green, but insisted the cabinet's U-turn on the closures was a purely budgetary decision.

"People can speculate as much as they want but the fact is, the savings we wanted to make to reinvest elsewhere were not being realised and we had to consider the budget," he said.

"I don't know about about these timings because I haven't seen the details you're telling me about, but my timings were based on making sure the council is run efficiently, which we're managing to do."

Conservative group leader Jeff Green

Cllr Green has been locked in negotiations with Mr Norman after learning that five of the ruling Lib-Lab cabinet members had seen a draft copy of inspector Sue Charteris' report into the library closures, along with several senior council officers - one of whom had shared it with a number of his staff.

Cllr Green's Tory group opposed the library closures, part of the borough's controversial strategic asset review which is also seeing the lease or sale of Birkenhead Town Hall, Pacific Road Theatre, two leisure centres and several village halls and community centres.

Neither he or any member of the Tories were allowed access to the report, the contents of which still have to remain confidential until the Secretary of State publishes it.

In an email to Mr Norman, Cllr Green had asked: "Can you tell me exactly what the council knew and when it knew it regarding the imminent publication of the Secretary of State's decision and who communicated this information to whom and by what means?"

Mr Norman replied today: "On Tuesday 29 September the council’s press office was informed in a phone call from the DCMS Press Office that they expected the minister to sign off the matter that day.

"It was 70 per cent likely that an announcement would be made on Thursday 1 October."

It has also emerged tonight that senior council officers have been given a lesson in law by Mr Norman.

Councillor Green has repeatedly claimed that he was lied to by council officers when he questioned them about the report.

Mr Norman said in his email: "Significant and unusual circumstances surrounding the confidentiality of the draft report were contributory factors to the misjudgements that were made.

"The officers concerned have been dealt with in an appropriate manner to ensure that this does not happen again."

Tonight, Cllr Green told the Globe: "The director of law, in what I still consider an incomplete answer to my questions, has now been forced to reveal what the administration knew and when it knew it.

"He has made it clear that the Lib-Lab administration had been told when the Wirral public would see the results of the Sue Charteris inquiry - and also makes it clear that the administration were aware of what would be in it.

"He has confirmed that the midnight town hall meeting held by the administration and officers, which the council later denied took place, occurred immediately following information received from the DCMS press office.

"I have yet to receive an explanation regarding who decided that this critical piece of information should not be shared with the Conservative Group at the time.

"Unfortunately however, the council is still spinning an ever-more complicated web in their attempt to justify their original actions and the fiasco that has followed it.

"What remains clear is that the Wirral public had closures imposed on them that nobody wanted, from leaders who don’t listen, and implemented by officers who appear unable to provide answers to the most basic of questions.

"The Wirral public will not forgive or forget this administration's behaviour throughout this self imposed debacle."

After the council announced its U-turn, the DCMS extended the public inquiry - which began with a two day meeting chaired by Ms Charteris at the Floral Pavilion in June - a further 21 days for people to give additional evidence with regards to the non-closure announcement.

It is still not known when the report will be published, but Mr Norman insisted in his email to Cllr Green that it is a case of "not if but when".

You can read a full transcript of the email from Mr Norman to Cllr Green by clicking on the related link below.

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