Wokingham Borough Library petition is the first ever to trigger a Council debate (Wokingham Liberal Democrats)

Wokingham Liberal Democrats <info@wokinghamlibdems.org.uk>

Wokingham Borough Library petition is the first ever to trigger a Council debate

September 16, 2011 12:00 PM

The Liberal Democrats will be presenting their petition asking Conservative Wokingham Borough Council to think again about outsourcing the library service to a private company to Council on next Thursday.

Cllr Stephen Conway (Liberal Democrat Councillor for Twyford Ward) said: 'Hundreds and hundreds of residents from all across Wokingham Borough have signed our petition asking for the Conservatives to rethink their plans to outsource the library service to a private company. In fact, so many have signed it that we will be able to call for the future of the library service to be debated at the Council meeting in November.'

Leading Library campaigner Rachelle Shepherd-DuBey said:'Libraries are an invaluable resource that should be run for the benefit of local communities and not for profit. The success of our petition shows that many, many hundreds of local residents agree. I am really pleased that our petition will be making history, as it will be the first one ever presented with enough signatures to trigger a full debate at Council.'

Fellow Library campaigner Anthony Vick said: 'The petition seems to have had an huge impact on Executive Members already. In May, before the petition had started the Executive Member for Internal Services, Cllr UllaKarin Clark, said that the Council would be "outsourcing the library service to a private sector organisation", but now she seems to have changed her tune.'

POSTSCRIPT: At the Council meeting on Thursday 22nd September, Liberal Democrats presented their 2374 signature petition calling for Wokingham Borough Council to rethink their plans to outsource the library service to a private company.