All eyes will be on landmark case taking place on July 19

A date has been set for the judicial review which will challenge Brent Council’s decision to close six libraries.

The case will be heard at the High Court over two-and-a-half-days starting on July 19.

If the campaigners win, it will be a landmark case and could set a precedent on library closures across the country.

The council decided to shut Preston, Barham Park, Tokyngton, Neasden, Cricklewood and Kensal Rise libraries earlier this year to save �1million.

But defiant campaigners have refused to give up the battle to save the popular reading rooms.

Law firm, Bindmans LLP, will be acting on behalf of the group.

Margaret Bailey, co-chair of the campaign to save Kensal Rise Library, said: “A lot of hard work has been done by communities across Brent to get this case to court.

“We would rather not have gone down this road, but the council has shown such disregard and disdain for what communities have said they want that we had no option but to pursue our campaign through legal means.

“We all hope that the outcome is a fair and positive one for communities, not only for Brent but throughout England.”

An umbrella group, called Brent SOS Libraries, was set up to represent the libraries earmarked for closure.

The campaigners have raised nearly �12,000 of its �30,000 target.

Author Philip Pullman will join Willesden novelist Maggie Gee at a fundraising event on July 20.

The talk takes place at Queens Park Community School hall, in Aylestone Avenue, Queens Park. All proceeds and donations will go to the Brent SOS Library Fund.

For more information visit www.brentsoslibraries.org.uk/sos