THREE closure-threatened Moray libraries have been given an 11th-hour reprieve.
But despite relief that the facilities at Burghead, Cullen and Dufftown will remain open, campaigners vowed last night to continue their fight for four others which will still be forced to close.
Library users fought off tears as they left the local authority chambers after councillors narrowly voted in favour of closing buildings at Rothes, Hopeman, Portknockie and Findochty, along with one mobile unit. The passionate group had gathered outside the council’s headquarters, brandishing coffins for each of the four libraries which will close at the end of the month.
In September, the administration controversially voted to close seven of its 15 libraries, against the advice of an equalities report compiled by its own officers.
But campaigners mounted a legal challenge seeking a judicial review through the Court of Session.
At yesterday’s full Moray Council meeting, SNP councillor Mike Shand moved that, in light of the legal challenge, the council should drop the closure plan. Mr Shand said the Independent-Tory council administration was “cynical” and accused councillors of underestimating the campaigners’ threats of legal action.
But an amendment by council leader Allan Wright, that Rothes, Findochty, Portknockie and Hopeman should close and that Cullen, Dufftown and Burghead should remain open, was carried 13 votes to 12.
The vote also means that a senior community librarian post will be retained.
Mr Wright said his change in stance was based on avoiding potential cost to the people of Moray, the independent legal advice the council had received and the need to press ahead with reducing the council’s annual spend by around £20million over the next four budgets.
“We cannot commit to a lengthy period of litigation with all the attendant uncertainty and cost to the public purse,” he said.
Mr Wright’s move had earlier defeated a second amendment, also by a 13-12 margin, by Labour councillor Sean Morton, to defer any closure proposals until the publication of a report by the Scottish Library and Information Council in early 2014.
Hopeman woman Vivien Hendry, who was last week revealed as the individual who would lead the court battle to halt library closures in Moray, said she was “gutted”.
Ms Hendry, who handed a “book of hope” to council convener Stewart Cree before yesterday’s meeting, said: “There was just one vote in it. You shouldn’t close well-used libraries.”
Fighting back tears, she said she was upset for all the communities affected.
“This is not over. I’m not going to give up,” she added.
The Save our Libraries Moray group met last night to discuss the decision and plan any further action.
Speaking after yesterday’s meeting, Mr Shand said: “The closures are nothing short of destruction of well-performing services at the heart of communities.
“Library campaigners in Moray have shown a tremendous spirit and unity of purpose. They have fought the library closures tooth and nail and, while they have succeeded in making the Independent and Tory administration think again on the closures, it remains bittersweet, with four of the original seven still set for closure.”
Mr Morton, Labour’s education spokesman on Moray Council, said he had hoped to persuade some Independent councillors to vote for his amendment.
He said: “It’s not clear that dial-a-bus will help people get to the remaining libraries. The lack of capacity of broadband in some areas leaves people without adequate access to the internet and, most crucially, it’s not clear that the savings identified are even realistic.”