Council sets out library and community centre cuts

Opening hours at Central Library in Bishop Street would be reduced under the proposal

Leicester City Council has set out plans to save £2.1m through potential cuts at its libraries and community centres.

It is proposing to offer 11 buildings to community organisations to run as it seeks to streamline services.

Under the plans, the authority would retain 12 sites, which would become "multi-service centres", and the city's Central Library.

The council said the changes were proposed as it faced the worst budget situation it has ever seen and needed to save £23m to balance its books.

The authority warned some staff could be at risk of losing their jobs but said there was no set number of redundancies proposed.

A consultation on the proposals started on Wednesday and will run until 29 June.

The St Matthew's Centre would close, under the plans, and its library would be relocated

Under the proposals, the Belgrave, Coleman and Netherhall neighbourhood centres could be offloaded to community organisations, as well as the Braunstone Frith and Rushey Mead recreation centres.

The council said the Tudor Centre, in Mowmacre, the Eyres Monsell Community Centre, the Gilmorton Community Rooms and libraries in Evington, Knighton and Rushey Mead could also be offered to external organizations to run.

The St Matthews Centre could also close with the library moved to a nearby location, the authority said, and the Fosse Neighbourhood Centre in Newfoundpool could be sold off.

The council said it would invest £1m in the 12 buildings it intends to keep - five of which, including the Beaumont Leys Library Hub and Highfields Library Hub, could have staffed opening for 40 hours a week.

Additional self-access hours would be offered on top of the 40 hours at Belgrave Library Hub, The Brite Centre Library Hub in Braunstone and St Barnabas Library Hub, the council added

It said the remaining seven sites could open for 30 hours a week.

They include Aylestone Library, Westcotes Library Hub, a relocated St Matthews Library and Thurnby Lodge Centre Hub.

Additional self-access hours are proposed for Hamilton Library Hub, New Parks Centre Hub, and Pork Pie Library Hub.

No decisions made

Vi Dempster, the council's assistant mayor for libraries and community centres, Vi Dempster, said she was the services were "greatly valued".

"Sadly, after many years of government cuts to our budgets we can no longer afford to run them in the same way, and so have looked for new ways to keep providing the services people most value, in a place close to where they live," she added.

"That's why we're proposing to bring services together in new multi-service hubs, ensuring they continue to be accessible across the city, while making the savings we need by reducing the number of buildings we run.

"Making some buildings available for community groups to run is another way we can ensure that services continue to be delivered."

She said no decisions had yet been made and she urged people to take part in the consultation.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said: "This government is under no illusions about the financial issues facing councils and we are determined to make progress on the inheritance we've been left.

"That's why we're making available £69bn to council budgets across England - a 6.8% cash terms increase - which includes an increase of up to £35.6m for Leicester City Council."