CONSULTATION over proposals to close three Swindon libraries is a sham, according to opposition councillors.

Libraries in Old Town, Gorse Hill and Even Swindon face the axe as Swindon Council aims to shave £100,000 from the libraries budget.

Both the Labour and Lib Dem groups produced alternative budgets which they claimed could safeguard the much-loved facilities, but these were dismissed by the cabinet as unrealistic and unworkable.

Now Labour councillors have slammed the consultation process, which runs until June, accusing the Tory administration of ignoring residents’ opinions.

Labour leader Kevin Small said: “It is completely unacceptable that the communities that will be affected by this decision do not get a chance to tell the council what they really think.

“The whole consultation process is a sham if local people do not have a chance to tell the council that they want their libraries to stay open as they are – which is exactly what people tell me when I talk to them.

“Clearly the Tories have already made their minds up on this and now they are just ticking boxes with this so-called consultation. They simply will not listen to the people of Swindon.”

Coun Maurice Fanning (Lab, Gorse Hill and Pinehurst) said: “A consultation is supposed to allow the people that will be affected by a decision to have their say, otherwise it is pointless.

“This exercise is designed to produce the answers the Tory administration want. If people want the libraries to stay open as they are they should be able to say that.

“The way this is being done shows the real arrogance of the Tory administration, they have made their decision and don’t care what people think.”

Coun John Ballman (Lab, Gorse Hill and Pinehurst) said: “Our view has always been that unless there is an overwhelming desire by the community to run the library in a different way, which there is not, then it should be left alone.

“We believe that the council could find the money to keep this and other libraries open, and showed that in our alternative budget.”

Coun Nick Martin, the lead member for libraries, said: “The idea that people won’t be allowed to tell us what they want is just bizarre. Of course we will be listening to what people say.

“We are holding consultation meetings at the libraries as well as handing out forms so there will be plenty of opportunities for people to have their say.

“Obviously people are going to say ‘let’s keep the status quo’, but we have to look at what is the best solution overall.

“We are very keen to keep book provision in these areas but we also have to look at the number of staff we are employing against the number of books being lent from certain libraries. Where we have the situation that a library represents just a fraction of the books being lent but is still staffed by two people that is clearly something we need to look at.”

Drop-in sessions will be held today from 3pm to 7pm at Old Town library, tomorrow from 2pm until 4pm at Even Swindon and Monday April 20 at Gorse Hill. There will also be further sessions before June.

For more information go to www.swindon.gov.uk.