Thurrock's £1.9m-a-year libraries and culture service is failing to meet requirements, say inspectors who have completed an in-depth survey.

The team from the Government's central region Best Value department has been scrutinising the council's libraries, heritage and cultural division.

A leaked copy of their initial findings says that not only are libraries under-performing in a range of areas but that plans in place for improvements are unlikely to work.

Although the report recognises the libraries have many strengths it criticises them for shortfalls over a wide area including failing to meet five key standards relating to opening hours, the amount of use, the number of IT workstations, and the time taken to meet book requests, and the physical condition of the Thameside Complex in Orsett Road, Grays.

The council has proposals in hand to improve the service following its own in-house best value review and the formation of an improvement plan.

The inspectors say, however: "The council's own best value review is poor in that it did not meet the objectives set for it. The improvement plan does not make it clear what an improved service will look like."

The council's head of public relations, Garry Selfridge, said: "We have had some interim feedback from the inspectors which has been communicated to staff in the section.

"This involved a presentation and we circulated the information to relevant staff but it was in no way a draft of the inspectors' report. On the contrary, the process is that we give our response and, having taken account of our views, the inspectors draw up their conclusions. We have responded and are awaiting the final report.

"It would be foolish and improper of us to speculate on a report which doesn't exist and whose conclusions we do not know."

Published Friday December 28, 2001