Cuts in library opening times hours will lead to drop in visitors, say officials

Warwickshire County Council’s cabinet committee last weeks discussed cuts in opening hours at its libraries as part of the authority’s efforts to save £2 million from the department’s budget.

The council has proposed slashing the Franklin Road library’s opening hours from 45 to 15 - but recommends working with Warwick District Council to increase this.

District and county councillor Bernard Kirton (Ind, Whitnash) believes that cutting the Franklin Road library’s opening hours to 15 a week is tantamount to closure.

He said: “Everybody is prepared to accept you have to cut costs and you can’t guarantee opening hours now are strictly necessary, but to go for 15 hours is such a drastic reduction the people who are using it won’t be able to go.”

In a report to the county council cabinet, Kushal Birla, head of customer service and Ayub Khan, head of libraries strategy, admitted cutting hours would reduce demand and said plans to work between councils needed to be agreed to balance savings with outcomes for customers.

In its response to the county council’s consultation, Warwick District Council described cuts at Whitnash as “severe”.

Whitnash town council also warned cuts would reduce access to its offices on the premises.

Opening hours at Leamington library will be cut from 56.5 hours per week to 50, at Kenilworth from 51 to 35 and at Lillington from 37.5 to 20, with discussions with the district council to extend them. Daily opening times will be agreed following a further consultation.

Warwick library will move to Shire Hall as part of the county council’s ‘property rationalisation strategy’ with the same opening times as Warwickshire Direct offices which are open 54 hours per week.

Southam library will have its opening hours cut from 47.5 hours to 35, and Wellesbourne from 29 to 20.

Officials have asked for the cuts to be implemented “as soon as possible” and by April 2012 at the latest.

Harbury and Kineton libraries were among 16 identifed as no longer sustainable by officers. Both villages have put forward schemes to keep the services running.

The report recommends extending a deadline for community bids to take on running of libraries until Friday August 19 and allocating £100,000 previously approved to a fund for communities wishing to take on libraries.

• Whitnash Community Forum will take place at Acre Close community centre on Wednesday from 7pm.