Proposal to move Bristol Central Library withdrawn

It had been suggested the library could be moved from its historic home

The idea of moving a city centre library away from its historic home is now off the table.

Bristol City Council - faced with a massive budget shortfall - had floated the idea that Bristol Central Library could be repurposed and sold off.

Although it was never a definite plan, the suggestion it could happen was met with widespread opposition.

Labour said the decision to keep the library in its Grade-I listed home was made after speaking with locals.

But Liberal Democrats and Greens claimed the move was due to the upcoming by-election in Hotwells and Harbourside, the area the library is located in, on 2 February.

The council has been contacted for comment on this allegation.

The plan to move the library has now been shelved

The idea of the Central Library being moved was mentioned in Bristol City Council documents in November, among other ideas that could possibly save the city money.

It is not clear where the library would have moved, but it was estimated that doing so, and reducing library services more broadly, would have saved £1.38m from the council's annual budget.

In a joint statement, councillor Ellie King, cabinet member for communities and public health, and Eileen Means, Labour candidate in the by-election, blamed the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats for austerity and "forcing councils to shut" hundreds of libraries.

'Valuable community spaces'

They said: "In Bristol, we are proud that our Labour administration has held back this tide to protect all 27 libraries — including Central Library — over the last six years, and will be working to keep them as valuable community spaces for the future."

The statement said that due to government underfunding, historic inflation and rising demand for services, the authority faced an "almost £88m funding gap" and it was "only right and responsible" to explore different money-saving options.

But the pair said they were "pleased" to confirm updated budget plans meant the library would stay in its current home.

'Cynical election ploy'

The statement was slammed as "cynical" by those from opposition parties, including Stephen Williams, former Liberal Democrat MP and councillor, and candidate in the upcoming by-election.

Mr Williams tweeted: "How marvellously cynical. The Labour mayor 'saves' the Central Library from his own closure plans, in the middle of an election, just to save the Labour candidate from electoral humiliation."

Ed Fraser, a local Green party officer, added: "For the second by-election in a row Bristol Labour has cooked up a threat to a service in the ward so they can then claim they've saved it."