PIONEERING schemes in Trafford have been singled out for praise in a government paper that came out earlier this week.

Trafford Council's leisure centre scheme - where centres have been merged with libraries was held up as being a smart piece of lateral thinking - enabling residents to benefit from both facilities at once.

According to the paper, the unique swipe card system, which allows people self-service and means libraries can stay open longer fulfils the part of government policy promising that: "Public services will be shaped to meet the needs of citizens, not the convenience of service providers.

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