Ribble Valley MP Nigel Evans has recently spoken out on the planned closure of libraries and children’s services around the area, including Whalley library, saying that the consultation regarding the closures should be extended until September when families who may be on holiday can focus on it, as the consultation is currently scheduled to close on the 14th August.
Nigel said “Libraries are a vital part of communities, and closing them would mean that those who pay council tax, are seeing less and less service for their money”.
Nigel also spoke out about recent consultations, saying “Recent local consultations have seen decisions made before the consultation has ended, which is unfair and unjust to local communities.
“This consultation must be consumer led, with those that pay for the service getting a say in how it is run”.
Nigel has called for the Secretary of State for Communities & Local Government Sajid Javid to oversee this consultation, to ensure that it is carried out in a fair and transparent manner.
Nigel also went on to talk about the impact of the closures, saying “While as a country we must live within our means, the services that are threatened with closure all across the Ribble Valley are services which people rely on, services that support communities, and something which we simply cannot afford to lose”.
Lancashire County Council recently announced a further £262 million in spending cuts, with various buildings threatened for closure across the Ribble including Chatburn Library, Longridge Young People’s Centre, Read Library, Pendleton Brook Day Centre, Slaidburn Young People’s Centre, Whalley Library and Spring Wood Children’s Centre and Willows Park Children Centre.
The public consultation for services throughout the Ribble Valley is currently scheduled to close on the 14th August, and can be accessed here “https://goo.gl/hFZmfW”