27th January 2012

SOUTH SOMERSET: Library u-turn proves costly for council budget

THE COURT case that caused the u-turn by Somerset County Council over the closure of libraries has turned out to be a costly affair.

The plan, that was to have saved county council funds, has now resulted in the legal costs for the Judicial Review of nearly £70,000.

The council had proposed to make savings of £1.35m by reducing opening hours and mobile libraries, and ending funding for 11 smaller libraries, offering them to their local communities to run. The proposals had been drawn up as the council set about making £75 million in savings over a three year period.

At the High Court in November last year, a Judicial Review found the council’s decisions to make changes to the library service to be unlawful because of a failure to comply with the public sector equalities duties. The judgment directed the council to reinstate any services that had been reduced or stopped.

The councilís legal costs for the Judicial Review were £24,573.38 for internal solicitorsí fees, £44,034.08 for external counsels’ fees and £135 for court fees; a total of £68,742.46. Other associated costs were travel and accommodation for people attending legal hearings which totalled £2,590.78.

Somerset County Council has been ordered to pay the other sideís legal costs but has not yet been informed how much this will be.