Hundreds object to proposed library closures

More than 1,000 people have objected to plans to close libraries in Brighton & Hove and cut opening times in a bid to save money.

A Brighton & Hove City Council report said the main message from a three-month public consultation was that the public wanted to save the threatened libraries – Hollingbury, Rottingdean and Westdene.

A proposal to reduce the opening hours at Brighton's Jubilee Library and Hove's Carnegie Library was also unpopular, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

The feedback will be discussed on 10 November at a council committee meeting, as the Labour administration tries to find savings.

The council is looking to cut the £4.3m library services budget by £210,000 over two years.

The report said the council could save £65,000 over two years by reducing the Jubilee Library's opening times by two hours on Mondays and three hours on Sundays.

A similar change at Hove Library could save £35,000.

The closure of Hollingbury Library would save £15,000, Rottingdean £25,000 and Westdene £20,000, according to the report.

Cuts to management and out-of-hours rotas would save a further £50,000.

Respondents highlighted the use of library spaces by schools, with closures and reduced opening hours expected to lead to a loss of study spaces for older secondary school pupils.

Nearly three-quarters of the 2,711 people who took part in the consultation had used the Jubilee Library in the past year and raised concerns about the effects on vulnerable groups, those who need a safe space and families.

"Parents with young children highlight the difficulty of travelling to alternative libraries," the report also stated, saying that "using a car daily is not feasible due to climate change concerns and financial constraints".