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Library campaigners have vowed to keep pressure on Caerphilly County Borough Council over its plans to shut down ten sites.

The at-risk libraries remain open for the time being, after critics of the council’s decision pushed for a legal challenge.

Outside the local authority’s headquarters, on Monday January 19, lead campaigner Mariam Kamish said there was “no need” to close the libraries, which are mainly found in smaller borough communities.

Draft budget papers for 2026/27 show the council estimates it would save £477,000 over the next three years if the libraries close.

Ms Kamish argued this represented a tiny fraction of the council’s budget and could have been funded from previous underspends.

As well as cost-cutting, the council believes closing the smaller libraries and consolidating the service into fewer, larger “hub” sites will be better for users – who can access a range of other public services there.

Ms Kamish alleged decision-makers “didn’t appreciate the harm that they would be causing” if they shut down village libraries, however.

But her attempts to speak to members of the council’s joint scrutiny committee of backbenchers was cut short, after the committee chairman ruled last year’s libraries decision fell outside the scope of Monday’s meeting.

This drew angry remarks from members of the public gallery, and the meeting was suspended briefly while calm was restored.

Afterwards, Ms Kamish said campaigners had “rattled” the council, and hoped members would “break ranks” by pushing for a u-turn on the planned closures.

She alleged the decision to stop her speech created “utter pandemonium” and resulted in “placing the library issue front and centre”.

“We are in this fight until the libraries are safe,” she added.

A Caerphilly Council spokesperson said the proposed library closures are “a historic matter where a decision has already been made, and it is now subject to a legal challenge”.

“The resident was advised explicitly in advance of the meeting that she would not be able to speak about library closures, as the committee was focusing on the new 2026/27 budget proposals,” they added.

On the closure plans, the council spokesperson said: “The decision to implement the new library service strategy was approved and subsequently put on hold last year following a legal challenge.

“While the judicial review process is ongoing, the council cannot provide any further comment.”