Overhaul of Shropshire libraries 'not about closures'

Shropshire Council's cabinet has agreed a review of all 21 library buildings for the next five years

An overhaul of libraries in Shropshire will not mean closures or redundancies, a council says.

A new draft strategy to review all 21 buildings and a mobile library for the next five years has been approved by Shropshire Council's cabinet.

The plans could see some libraries co-located with other council services to save money.

But councillor Cecilia Motley said communities would not be deprived of a library service.

Critics, however, expressed fears community-run libraries could be under threat, with another member suggesting the programme of change was less than clear.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service said among the proposed changes was the roll-out of self-service machines and the tailoring of each library's opening hours to the local community.

The Conservative-run authority says it hopes the new strategy will save money through freeing up staff time to support customer service points in the same buildings.

The council is also looking to cut its current £178,000 annual subsidy to the county's eight community-run libraries in places including Albrighton, Craven Arms and Ellesmere.

Liberal Democrat group leader David Vasmer voiced concern that the community-run libraries could be under threat, while Labour group leader Julia Buckley said the strategy was not transparent.

The community-run ventures have been on a "reducing scale of support" from the council, Ms Motley said but added they would not be left "high and dry".

Cabinet members agreed to put the proposals out to consultation.

Libraries are "a huge asset" and "we need to make the best use of them", Ms Motley told fellow members.