Consultation under way on threatened libraries

Woodston Library is one of the facilities that faced closure due to budget cuts at the city council

A council is asking residents how they use their city's network of libraries as it reviews plans to reduce the service.

Peterborough City Council proposed cutting its static libraries from 10 down to three as part of budget proposals, saying the move would save £314,000 a year.

Library users objected to the plans and asked the council to reconsider the loss of community facilities.

The authority's cabinet agreed to put the proposal on hold and "complete a full needs assessment" before making a detailed recommendation.

Campaigners fighting to save Woodston Library invited councillors to visit the facility earlier in the year

The consultation, which will close on 5 August, asks people about which libraries and services they use and how they travel there.

There are currently 10 libraries and a mobile library serving Peterborough.

In its original proposal, the council said it would invest in a modernised Central Library and two additional libraries, with smaller self-service facilities in hubs across the city.

Friends of Woodston Library, one of the branches earmarked for closure, argued the facility was more than a library and also used as a community space for local residents.

Alison Jones, cabinet member for housing and communities at Peterborough City Council, said: "We know how much some people value their library service and this came across clearly in the budget consultation earlier in the year.

"We listened to what residents told us and committed to carrying out this engagement exercise prior to any decisions being made."

The council said the results of the survey would be analysed and published by the end of the year.

The current 10 libraries are:

• Peterborough Central Library

• Bretton Library

• Dogsthorpe Library

• Eye Library

• Hampton Library

• Orton Library

• Stanground Library

• Thorney Library

• Werrington Library

• Woodston Library