The government has said that it will look into the closure of more than 20 libraries in Lancashire following complaints from local MPs.

Lancashire county council, which has blamed the closures on government cuts, confirmed in August that it was set to shut more than 20 local libraries, a move locals have described as “devastat[ing]”.

But following letters from two Conservative MPs – Ben Wallace, member for Wyre and Preston North, and Paul Maynard, MP for Blackpool North and Cleveleys –complaining about the cuts, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport has confirmed that it will investigate the situation.

The outcome of consultation was announced so quickly I don't believe they had time to examine the evidence gathered Paul Maynard MP

“Obviously this is a first step and it’s important to recognise they are looking into the process of how things have been done,” said Maynard this morning. “One of my concerns was that the outcome of the consultation was announced so quickly that I don’t believe they had sufficient time to properly examine the evidence gathered, so was it genuine or not? “ The council had received more than more than 7,000 responses to its consultation about the libraries’ future.

Maynard said he was also keen for the government to investigate the level of local need, as required under the Public Libraries and Museums Act of 1964. “As someone who actually attended the Wirral enquiry, I know the inspector there had great concerns about the way the Wirral went about assessing the level of need,” said Maynard. “I don’t believe Lancashire has done a sufficient examination [of this].”

In 2009, a public inquiry into library closures in the Wirral found the council to be “in breach of its statutory duties under the Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964, to provide ‘comprehensive and efficient public library services for all persons desirous to make use thereof’”, primarily because “ the council failed to make an assessment of local needs (or alternatively to evidence knowledge of verifiable local needs) in respect of its library services”.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest The MPs’ challenge centres on whether Lancashire county council adequately assessed local needs. Photograph: Alamy Stock Photo

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Maynard had written in September to Matt Hancock, minister for digital and culture, laying out his belief that Lancashire council’s library closures were being undertaken “without even considering the alternative avenues that could be open to them”. Maynard wrote: “I am deeply concerned that there has not been an adequate assessment of need,” calling for “a public inquiry to establish whether Lancashire county council is in breach of its duties” under the 1964 libraries act.

He received a reply on Friday, in which new libraries minister Rob Wilson said the department had received “a number of representations concerning the revisions to Lancashire’s library service provision”. Wilson confirmed that the representations were “being treated as a formal complaint”, and that the DCMS had notified Lancashire of the situation.

“Officials will also request all the relevant information regarding proposed changes to the library services. The overarching question for the secretary of state [Karen Bradley] to consider is whether the public library services provided by the local authority remains ‘comprehensive and efficient’,” wrote Wilson. “There is no set timetable for the secretary of state to consider a complaint that a local authority may be failing to carry out its duties in accordance with the act ... all relevant detail will be carefully considered to enable the secretary of state to decide whether a local inquiry is necessary to resolve any real doubt about the council’s compliance with its statutory duty under the act.”

He added that it was “for the council’s elected members to decide whether or not to continue with the implementation of their plans, prior to the outcome of the secretary of state’s consideration of the complaint and determination as to whether or not to order a local inquiry”.

But David Borrow, Lancashire council’s deputy leader, told the Lancashire Evening Post that he was “happy” for the DCMS to look at the council’s work. “We have carried out a great deal of detailed work to ensure our proposals fulfil the council’s statutory duty to provide a comprehensive and efficient library service. I’m happy for them to be scrutinised by the secretary of state. The changes we’re making will contribute to huge savings the council needs to make while ensuring people still have good access to library services.”

A spokesperson for the DCMS said: “Local authorities have a statutory duty to provide a comprehensive and efficient library service. We have received representations about the proposed library changes by Lancashire County Council, which we are treating as an official complaint.”