Hampshire County Council to shut libraries in £1.7m savings plan

Fair Oak Library in Eastleigh is one of the eight facing closure

Eight libraries are set to close and opening hours reduced in those remaining, as part of savings measures announced by Hampshire County Council.

It follows a public consultation on plans to save £1.76m from the library service, which initially proposed shutting 10 libraries.

Campaigners said those proposals were "shameful".

The council said the new plan would aim to provide "the best possible library service within our means".

Libraries will shut in Blackfield, Lyndhurst, Fair Oak, South Ham, Elson, Horndean, Lee-on-the-Solent and Odiham, the council said.

Chineham and Emsworth libraries - which were also under threat - will remain open.

The remaining libraries will have their opening hours reduced by 20%, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Authors and campaigners handed in a letter of protest at Hampshire County Council offices in January

The authority is also proposing to withdraw its support for Lowford, Milford-on-Sea and North Baddesley community libraries.

The public consolation had offered options of either reducing opening hours of all libraries by 25% or closing 10 libraries and reducing opening hours of the remaining ones by 15%.

The council said 58% of respondents preferred reduced opening hours for all libraries over individual branch closures.

• Authors slam 'shameful' library closures

• Ten libraries earmarked for closure

Author and campaigner Ali Sparkes said the decision was "incredibly short sighted".

"Our library service is crucial to the children who have had their education brutally dented by lockdown and now need all the resources a public library offers more than ever before," she said.

Sean Woodward, executive member for recreation and heritage, said the authority faced "£110 million of unplanned costs and losses" due to coronavirus.

"These are difficult choices to have to make, and we continue to work hard to minimise the impact on residents.

"And although this means we must reduce costs, it does not stop us from innovating and seizing new opportunities.

The authority said the plan put 50 jobs at risk but it hoped to avoid compulsory redundancies.

It is due to be formally approved on 28 July and put into effect by December.