THREE branch libraries in Prestwich are up for sale and down for closure - despite being "saved " in April.

Now local Liberal Democrat councillors have accused the Labour-led Bury Council of playing politics with local services.

On Monday, the council's land and economic development sub-committee agreed to put Polefield, Brooklands and Carr Clough up for sale, and apply for planning permission for residential development on the sites.

But in the latest edition of the Lib-Dem's Focus newsletter, group leader Coun Vic D'Albert said: "Back in April, after Labour decided to close the libraries, they suddenly changed their mind when they realised the embarrassment caused to their General Election candidate.

"Clearly, now they feel it's safe to plough ahead with the closure."

Mr Ivan Lewis, who won the Bury South seat in the election, was a leading light in the campaign to reopen the libraries.

But Bury Council, facing massive budget reductions, carried out a review of their buildings, and decided the libraries had to go despite them being closed and then reopened. Fellow Lib-Dem Coun Wilf Davison said everything possible should be done to maintain the libraries, or use the sites for other community uses including a library service.

"If we lose these facilities it is unlikely they will ever be rebuilt in this area," he said.

Bury Council leader Derek Boden rejected accusations that the truth had been concealed because of the election.

In fact, he said the decision was taken at the earliest opportunity.

"We promised we would review the libraries and community education, thinking we could combine their functions," he said.

"We have completed that review and found it was not practicable.

"The budgetary problem was getting ever more pressing, and there was no reason to hold the report back any longer."

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