Legal action planned against Doncaster library cuts

The campaign group, Save Doncaster Libraries, are planning legal action.

Protesters in Doncaster are planning legal action against the closure of two libraries and the removal of funding from 12 others.

Lynne Coppendale, of campaign group Save Doncaster Libraries, said taking this action was a "great sadness".

She added the mayor and cabinet had been inflexible "from day one."

Meanwhile the council said 200 people had already volunteered to help the library service and it appealed for more people to come forward.

Carcroft and Denaby libraries have already closed, leaving 24 libraries of which half will become run by volunteers with no council staff employed.

Ms Coppendale said: "The whole consultation process has been a mockery. It's closure by stealth."

The group is calling for a judicial review over the council plans.

'Moral objection'

Doncaster Council is currently trying to find savings of £80m over four years, as part of the cuts required by central government.

The council said volunteers could give any amount of time to a local library and no specific qualifications were needed.

Volunteer duties would include shelving books, helping customers to use computers and searching for information.

Ms Coppendale, a professional librarian, said she personally would have a "moral objection" to volunteering as it would take away the job of somebody who was getting paid.

The libraries due to become community-managed are: Balby, Bawtry, Bessacarr, Edenthorpe, Intake, Moorends, Rossington, Scawthorpe, Sprotbrough, Stainforth, Warmsworth, Wheatley.