A LEADING national body has called on the Secretary of State to intervene following the release of the council’s libraries strategy.

The Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) has condemned the council for entering into what they have described as a “highly prejudicial” consultation process and for failing to meet their statutory obligation to provide a ‘comprehensive and efficient’ service.

Nick Poole, Chief Executive of the CILIP, said: “We note that the financial decision concerning the level of budget reduction had been made prior to the consultation – in effect rendering the consultation meaningless, given that insufficient funds were allocated to provide for anything other than the model now put forward to council cabinet.

“We note in the Cabinet papers that the concerns that were voiced by thousands of Swindon residents have not been addressed and are instead dismissed under the overall context of affordability.

“Similarly, we note that a staff-led proposal to establish an independent trust – a model that is seeing some success elsewhere in the country – has been dismissed without appropriate consideration on the grounds of affordability.

“In short, we believe from the papers that rather than entering into the process of consultation without prejudice, a highly prejudicial decision was made concerning budget allocation to the library service and that the end result is a service that has been hollowed-out to the point at which it can no longer be considered ‘comprehensive and efficient’.

“The proposals put forward by Swindon Borough Council are the most damaging we have seen to any library service anywhere in the country.”

The CILIP has called on the council to carry out an urgent rethink, suggesting that they re-engage with the proposal put forward by the library staff and seek to negotiate a solution which fulfils more of the criteria they have set out.

They say there is now “serious doubt or uncertainty as to whether the local authority is (or may cease to be) complying with its legal obligation to provide a comprehensive and efficient library service.”

Given the seriousness of the situation, they have urged the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Karen Bradley, to intervene directly.