Council set to scrap volunteer-run libraries plan

Campaigners have cautiously welcomed the council's revised proposals for libraries

Controversial cost-cutting plans to offload libraries to community organisations are set to be scrapped by Leicester City Council.

The council set out the idea in April as part of a proposal to save £2.1m a year from its budget for running public buildings.

It said it has now "significantly" changed its plans after thousands of people took part in a public consultation over the summer.

Campaigners who opposed the move cautiously welcomed the authority's change of course.

However, the council said all libraries are still likely to see a reduction in staffed opening hours, with six becoming self-access, meaning people could borrow books for 12 hours a day.

The Central Library would be staffed and open on Saturdays and until 18:00 on at least one evening a week, the council said

The council's assistant mayor for libraries and community centres, Vi Dempster, said: "As the council has always said, this was never a closure programme, it was about finding ways to protect these services in the face of ongoing budget cuts, and to ensure they continue to be available across the whole city.

"People made it clear to us that they want the council to continue to run libraries, even if it meant a reduction in staffed opening hours."

Louisa Wright, who was part of a campaign to keep Knighton library under council management, said: "I'm pleased because there was a lot of antipathy to having the library run by volunteers.

"But it's a cautious welcome because we still have concerns about cuts to hours and we have yet to see the full details," she added.

The council said its new model would see library services operated from 12 'multi-service centres' across the city, in areas including Beaumont Leys and Highfields – as well as from the city's Central Library in Bishop Street.

Officials said these sites would be open between 30 and 40 hours a week, including on Saturdays.

St Matthew's library would be moved to a nearby location under the plans

Other revised proposals

• Customer self-access would be implemented at a further six libraries - New Parks, the BRITE Centre library, Belgrave, Hamilton, Pork Pie and St Barnabas, in addition to some staffed hours

• Belgrave Neighbourhood Centre and Rushey Mead Recreation Centre would continue to be run by the council, which said it would work with the local community to improve the centres' financial sustainability

• Five community centres would be offered for the community to run – Braunstone Frith Recreation Centre, Coleman Neighbourhood Centre, Eyres Monsell Community Centre, Gilmorton Community Rooms and the Tudor Centre

• In Netherhall, either the Armadale Centre or Netherhall Neighbourhood Centre could become a community-run facility

• Fosse Neighbourhood Centre and Library would close due to the low usage of the facility and poor condition of the building

• St Matthews Library would relocate to St Matthews Children's, Young People and Family Centre

Officials said the new package of measures would save about £1.57m a year rather than the initial target of £2.1m, and that the shortfall would have to be found from other services.

Some library and community centre staff would be at risk of losing their jobs, the council said, but no figure on redundancies has been confirmed.

A formal executive decision on the revised proposals is due to be made in early December.