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Save Lincolnshire Libraries campaigners win court battle | Save Lincolnshire Libraries campaigners win court battle |
(35 minutes later) | |
Campaigners have won a High Court battle against cuts to council library services. | Campaigners have won a High Court battle against cuts to council library services. |
A judge ruled Lincolnshire County Council's decision to re-design its services to save £2m was legally flawed. | A judge ruled Lincolnshire County Council's decision to re-design its services to save £2m was legally flawed. |
The legal decision is a victory for the Save Lincolnshire Libraries group and Lincoln resident Simon Draper, who led the legal challenge. | The legal decision is a victory for the Save Lincolnshire Libraries group and Lincoln resident Simon Draper, who led the legal challenge. |
The council wanted to continue running only 15 of its 45 libraries. | The council wanted to continue running only 15 of its 45 libraries. |
The remaining 30 would have been handed over to communities and volunteers to run, or could have faced closure. | The remaining 30 would have been handed over to communities and volunteers to run, or could have faced closure. |
Bids from community groups were made for all 30. | |
Save Lincolnshire Libraries had collected a petition containing 23,000 signatures rejecting the council's plans. | Save Lincolnshire Libraries had collected a petition containing 23,000 signatures rejecting the council's plans. |
Mr Justice Collins ruled there had been a flawed public consultation and the council had failed to deal with an alternative proposal properly. | Mr Justice Collins ruled there had been a flawed public consultation and the council had failed to deal with an alternative proposal properly. |
Market Deeping town councillor Ashley Baxter campaigned against the changes. | Market Deeping town councillor Ashley Baxter campaigned against the changes. |
'Look again' | 'Look again' |
He said: "It's part of the best news this week - they got rid of Michael Gove and now we've got this - it's fantastic news for people who support education and literacy." | He said: "It's part of the best news this week - they got rid of Michael Gove and now we've got this - it's fantastic news for people who support education and literacy." |
He said the council "didn't appear to have any genuine desire to consult with people and find out what they wanted". | He said the council "didn't appear to have any genuine desire to consult with people and find out what they wanted". |
Lincolnshire County Council said it was disappointed with the decision. | Lincolnshire County Council said it was disappointed with the decision. |
Executive director Richard Wills said the judge had ruled that the authority should look in more detail at a bid from Greenwich Leisure, which wanted to take over the running of the libraries. | Executive director Richard Wills said the judge had ruled that the authority should look in more detail at a bid from Greenwich Leisure, which wanted to take over the running of the libraries. |
Greenwich Leisure is a charitable social enterprise. | |
Mr Wills said: "[The bid] was looked at - but it came fairly late in the day and I have to say that therefore we didn't have as much time to look at it as we did some of the other propositions. | Mr Wills said: "[The bid] was looked at - but it came fairly late in the day and I have to say that therefore we didn't have as much time to look at it as we did some of the other propositions. |
"The judge felt we hadn't looked at it closely enough - we will accept that of course and we will look at it again." | "The judge felt we hadn't looked at it closely enough - we will accept that of course and we will look at it again." |
He added that council had to save money, which the judge accepted - and that the authority had met its statutory duties in providing a service. | He added that council had to save money, which the judge accepted - and that the authority had met its statutory duties in providing a service. |
The leader of the council, Martin Hill, is yet to comment. | The leader of the council, Martin Hill, is yet to comment. |