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Voluntary sector being used as the sticking plaster for Tory Cuts say Lib Dems

by Ian Shires on 26 November, 2015

Tory Cllr Anthony Harris

Tory Cllr Anthony Harris

Walsall’s Tory administration is in disarray over just what to do about Libraries and the Voluntary Sector or how to engage with local communities.

That was the message which came out of a gruelling three and a hour meeting of a special meeting of the Corporate and Public Services Scrutiny Panel on Wednesday 25 November.

Tory Community,Leisure and Culture boss Cllr Anthony Harris faced a barrage of questions from opposition Lib Dem and Labour councillors as they tried to pin down the beleaguered Tory Cabinet Member over his plans to close seven Libraries all of which serve deprived areas of the Borough.

Lib Dem Cllr Ian Shires

Lib Dem Cllr Ian Shires

Cllr Ian Shires (Lib Dem Willenhall North) waded in with questions about just what was the Cabinet’s thinking behind the closures? Cllr Harris said that he would not be drawn into saying that Libraries were to close. Further Cllr Harris said that petitions weren’t important to him. “Give me four volunteers and four reserves and we could save the Libraries” said Cllr Harris.

It was pointed out to Cllr Harris that if Libraries were to be run by volunteers they would be nothing more than book exchanges. “Libraries are much more than that” commented Cllr Ian Shires “they provide access to information, helping people to acquire skills and knowledge to equip them for jobs. They are the hub of local communities around which many groups and clubs exist. Further more closing Libraries will affect those least able to get to one of those libraries you say is within two miles of where they live.”

Councillors went on to question Cllr Harris on how he was proposing to support any volunteers if they were to come forward as in the same report on budget cuts their were plans to withdraw funding from the voluntary sector, the self same sector Cllr Harris was planning to use to run the seven libraries under threat. Time and time again Cllr Harris came back by saying that his plans were still in the early stages. He was looking for volunteers and ideas from members of the public. “Cllr Harris’s sums do not add up” said Cllr Shires ” the savings were dependent upon closing buildings as well as cutting staff numbers.”

Just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse attention moved to Cllr Harris’s  plans to axe Area Management posts and Area Panels along with the grant funding provided to Areas for community development. Yet again when pressed Cllr Harris had no real answers as to how cutting Council Grants to the Voluntary Sector helps to make local communities more resilient.

Commenting after the meeting Cllr Ian Shires said “It would appear that Cllr Harris and the Tories expect the Voluntary Sector to take up the slack cuts in public services will create whilst funding for the sector is also subject to cuts. The Tories seem to think that voluntary sector is nothing more than the sticking plaster for service cuts.”

Comments from the Scrutiny Panel will be going forward to the December meeting of the all Tory Cabinet. Ultimately all the cuts will be debated in February at a special budget meeting of the full Council,

 

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