Culture Secretary Andy Burnham has stepped into a row about library closures in the Wirral. Wirral Council is proposing to close 11 of its 24 libraries over the next three months, under its Strategic Asset Review. Museums Libraries and Archives council CEO Roy Clare has accused the authority of betraying a “lack of vision”.

But the secretary of state has gone further, setting up a local inquiry – the first of its kind since 1991 - to test the council’s plans for consistency and compliance with their statutory duty to provide all residents with a comprehensive public library service.

“Public libraries play a central role at the heart of our communities, providing a rich source of information, wisdom and learning” Burnham said. “This is all the more true in difficult economic times. They should never be an optional extra for local authorities. I have a statutory responsibility to ensure everyone has access to a comprehensive and efficient service because ready access to high quality libraries for all is absolutely central to a truly public service.

“There is a significant gap in the available evidence on the likely impact that the Wirral’s plans to close 11 branches will have on the community. Ensuring our public library service is fit for the 21st century can sometimes means difficult decisions and I certainly would not stand in the way of any council who wants to modernise; this is at the heart of the review that my department will publish in June.”