Library opening hours to be cut in Bradford

Keighley Library will now only open in the mornings on Fridays, and will close an hour earlier on Saturdays

Opening hours at libraries across the Bradford district will be reduced next year, the council has confirmed.

Ten council-run libraries will close earlier on Saturdays from spring 2025 and there will also be changes at other times of the week.

The announcement followed the end of a public consultation on the issue which 1,656 people took part in.

Bradford Council said the cuts were part of a £175,000 savings plan and councillors have been asked to approve the changes next week.

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The consultation responses favoured the option of earlier Saturday closing and additional changes to weekday hours.

The new hours would be implemented from April 2025. Community-managed libraries would not be affected.

Councillor Sarah Ferriby, executive member for healthy people and places, said: “We don’t want to be having to make these changes but unfortunately, we have to make more savings and look at the services we provide and make some difficult decisions."

She added that the council had been able to make an "informed decision" based on the consultation outcome and views of library users.

Plans to shave £2m from the library service's budget were announced in 2019 and many branches passed to community groups and are now staffed by volunteers.

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