Forums Forums Local News Closure decisions made

MASSIVE cuts have been approved tonight by Wirral Council which will cease funding the following facilities:

Pacific Road Arts Centre

Wirral Musuem

Wirral Transport Museum

Woodchurch library

Eastham library

Hoylake library

Higher Bebington library

Irby library

New Ferry library

Prenton library

Ridgeway library

Seacombe library

Wallasey Village library

Woodchurch library

It was decided that Woodchurch leisure centre would be saved, along with Bromborough Civic Centre.

The council will progress plans to build multi-purpose centres at Bebington, Birkenhead, Liscard, Moreton and West Kirby.

What about Guinea Gap baths?

Such a shame!

So why as a Wallasey Village home owner, do I pay top rate Council Tax, if they are to close my local library and move it to multi purpose centres in places that my non-driving wife will struggle to take my 2 children to, no offence to moreton or liscard residents. Currently we regulary use Wallasey Village library, and not just for the lending of books, there is parent and child groups etc held there.

I hope my Council Tax band will go down since my local services are to reduce.

I think they have a 2 year repreive.

Does that mean our taxes will now be reduced?

AX hopefully and wishfull thinking lol

My Point exactly, you council tax band is based on the services in your local area, if you live in an area where they are closing a library etc, then you services are reduced and therefore so should your tax band.

I bet they dont tho.

I am surprised, there was me expecting these useless, lazy f*ckers to actually do something about it. I spent loads of my youth in libraries, it's a shame that they're depriving future generations. At least they have street corners, there's plenty of those.
I bet they're saving a load of money as well, millions! They -should- cut the taxes in the areas that lose a service.

I suppose what we're all trying to say is

THANKS METROPOLITAN BOROUGH OF WIRRAL COUNCIL!

YOU USELESS, SELF SERVING C*NTS

here here

From the Liverpool Echo Website:

Wirral council cuts get go-ahead amid angry scenes
Jan 15 2009

A CASH-STRAPPED council has backed plans to close libraries and sports centres – with limited reprieves for some buildings.

At a bad-tempered meeting tonight, Wirral’s Cabinet passed its controversial Strategic Asset Review, intended to save £3.1m, but announced that Woodchurch Leisure Centre and Upton and Pensby libraries would be saved.

Guinea Gap baths will be safe for two years and Birkenhead Central Library will remain open but alternative uses will be found for the building should the council confirm its intention to create a new purpose-built central library.

The libraries set to close are Beechwood, Eastham, Higher Bebington, Hoylake, Irby, New Ferry, Prenton, Ridgeway, Seacombe, Wallasey Village and Woodchurch.

These buildings, along with Grange Road West Sports Centre are open to expressions of interest from community groups who wish to take on the task of running them.

Ignoring chants of “Who are you?” several paper planes and a blood-soaked placard of his face, Council Leader Steve Foulkes added that the package will include £1.8m “transitional funding”.

He added that the shortfall from the original plan would have to be picked up by the council tax payer.

Acknowledging his personal unpopularity because of the review, he said: “If I was to get run over by a bus tomorrow there would still be budgetary issues and whoever sat in this seat would have to resolve them.

“We’ve made a big decision on your behalf.”

If they are saving millions by closing them, then why does the council tax payer have to foot the bill!!??!!

I'm awfully sorry Mr Foulkes, but you have not made a decision on my behalf!! If you had, you would not have closed half of the buildings you have!!

Had you made decisions on my behalf, you would have cut the bonuses and wages of the fookin fat cats that do nothing but sit on their arris, while the real workers get crappy wages and the residents of the Wirral get ripped off yet again!!!

COUNCIL CUTS: A 'SHOCKWAVE' THROUGH WIRRAL


ELEVEN of Wirral’s 24 public libraries are to close, it was confirmed tonight.

Pacific Road Arts Centre is also to lose council funding, as will Grange Road West Sports and Leasowe Recreation Centres.

The Wirral Museum – housed in the former Birkenhead Town Hall building in Hamilton Square – is also being axed.

And a further 24 community centres and village halls throughout the borough will also lose their funding, to be transferred instead into “voluntary community management” – if that can be attained.

WIRRAL GLOBE

What a waste of resources as people have said and what makes me laugh is they are the ones who are responsible for frittering away the money by investing it in dodgy offshore banks. If they are gonna close Moreton library do they not remember the money they recently spent on it...what a waste. Get a grip Wirral Council!!!!

To be fair - Byrne Avenue Baths was passed to a voluntary community management in 1996 and just gets a £20,000 grant off the council each year - this is cheap and seems to work.

Would it be better if the closing Libraries were amalgamated with the community centres and run under these sort of scheme?

The council is admitting it has £20M to spend, or is this from the forecasted sale of the sites?

Fortunately most of the old libraries/museums are listed building so they should be preserved - subject to no fire problems!!!