After more than 25,000 responses to the consultation, I welcome the Devon County Council Liberal Democrat administration's decision to drop proposals that would have reduced access to local libraries.
The message from local people could not have been clearer and I'm grateful to everyone who made their voice heard.
The original plans were based on the idea that libraries could simply be grouped together, with people expected to travel elsewhere when their own branch was closed. But an overwhelming number of respondents said they would rather wait for their own library to reopen than travel to another library.
That should have been obvious from the start.
The proposals showed a complete misunderstanding of how valued and relied upon these services really are.
There is a certain irony in Liberal Democrats now trying to present themselves as the defenders of libraries after spending months consulting on cuts brought forward under their own administration.
In the end, public pressure forced a rethink and all libraries will now keep their current staffed opening hours.
I also welcome the decision to invest more in books create a new Libraries Transformation and Rural Hub Fund.
This is a victory for local people.
