PETITIONERS were left disappointed yesterday after county council leader Mark Hawthorne admitted a proposed debate on libraries was a "train wreck".

The debate on the future of libraries was triggered after the Friends of Gloucestershire Libraries (FOGL) group handed in a 13,000-name petition, including hundreds from the Stroud district, calling for clarity on the council's cuts plan.

However, after a legal row at the full council meeting on Wednesday, January 19 no decisive action was taken and a vote on whether to hold an independent review into the cuts was not held.

Instead councillors passed a motion for the cabinet to take the petition and the debate into account next month.

Council chairman Gordon Shurmer said at the meeting that he had wanted to debate the rules prior to the petition debate so as not to eat into its 15-minute slot.

However, monitoring officer Nigel Roberts’ advice was that there was no legislation covering petitions that allowed for such a debate.

After much confusion it was decided that a 10-minute recess would be given for Cllr Hawthorne to discuss the issue in private with opposition leaders.

But almost an hour later they reappeared and it was decided the debate would be carried forward to the cabinet meeting on February 2 and then the subsequent final budget decision-making meeting on February 16.

Demelza Jones, from the FOGL, said: "We are disappointed that a full Council vote was not held on whether to implement our petition demand – a decision that was apparently taken at the last minute, despite the Council knowing for some weeks to expect the petition submission."

"We are pleased, however, that the petition has fulfilled its goal of prompting a full Council debate on the plans for the library service, and bringing this issue to wider public attention."

Commenting on the meeting cllr Hawthorne said: "I am really frustrated that the council meeting was such a train wreck today. "The council chairman holds a meeting the week before each full council to resolve exactly this sort of procedural issue.

"Sadly no-one from the Labour, Lib Dem or Independent Groups took the time to attend. "I think the chaos that ensued is an understandable result."