Libraries petition drama in Leicestershire
It follows claims Leicester residents are being ‘silenced’
Opposition members stormed out of a Leicester City Council meeting amid claims residents were being “silenced”. The dramatic exit occurred after Conservative councillors were told that two petitions they had submitted to the council were not going to be debated at Thursdays, (July 3) full council meeting.
The petitions called on the Labour-led authority to halt potential cuts to the city’s libraries and community centres. While no decisions have yet been made, the city council is considering shutting two of its buildings. A further 11 could be transferred to community groups, which would run them, but, if no suitable group comes forward, those buildings would be considered for “alternative uses” or, where that is not deemed possible, “disposed” of. Reductions in staff and opening hours are also on the cards for some libraries, with the cash-strapped council having recently consulted on the proposals, which it says would save £2.1 million a year.
Opposition members claim their two petitions, one for Rushey Mead and one for Belgrave, met the threshold for a full council debate at 3,800 and 1,900 signatures respectively, and were submitted for debate in line with what they believe council policy to be. They said they were instead told the petitions would be considered as part of the consultation results.
The local Conservative Party has accused the council of “choking democracy” and “killing the voice of the public”. Local party leader Hemant Rae Bhatia said last night: “Hundreds and hundreds of residents are here waiting for those discussions.
“It’s their voice. Their voice has to be heard and I’m really sad it has been completely ignored.
“How can we call ourselves a democratic council when our petitions are being completely excluded from discussions. This is choking democracy and killing the voice of the public which is not acceptable to us.”
Members from all three opposition groups on the council – Conservatives, Liberal Democrats and the Greens – walked out of the meeting. As they went, a voice could be heard shouting: “Shame on Leicester City Council.”
A spokeswoman for the authority told the LDRS that the council’s monitoring officer, whose job it is to “interpret the council’s constitution and ensure procedures are correctly followed”, alone took the decision to treat the petitions as part of the consultation. She added that the officer had “referred the petitions to what he considered was the most appropriate process” and that “no politicians were informed of or consulted on” the matter.
There were “several” other ways opposition members could have triggered a debate on the libraries and community centres proposals, including submitting questions on it or putting forward a notice of motion, the spokeswoman said. She said that did not happen.
The spokeswoman added: “Any decision on this issue is some months away, so there will be lots of opportunities for councillors and the public to ask further questions, either at full council meetings or scrutiny meetings.”
The Conservatives said they had asked Lord Mayor Teresa Aldred, who chairs full council meetings, to overrule the officer’s decision. However, Coun Aldred said at the meeting that she was “happy” to follow the officer’s advice on the matter, adding that he was the authority’s “legal advisor”.
Speaking after last night’s events, Coun Bhatia said: “When thousands of residents sign their name, they deserve to be heard, not brushed aside by backroom games. The council did not just block an opposition political party last night, they blocked every single person who cares about their local library or community centre. If they think this will silence people in Leicester, they are very much mistaken.”