Members of East Riding of Yorkshire Council’s Cabinet have agreed three recommendations for the future of the council’s library service and multi-service centres at their meeting.
Following responses received after two rounds of public consultation on the future of the services, which included a specific proposal in the second stage of consultation, the Cabinet agreed three recommendations:
• Retaining a library or multi service centre in every town and larger village in the East Riding but with reduced opening hours
• Retaining a mobile library service across the East Riding but with a reduced level of service
• Retaining both libraries in Bridlington, but reducing the opening hours.
These changes will save the council around £1.2 million, from the combined library and customer service budgets, which will be achieved without closing a single library or multi-service centre or ceasing to provide the mobile library service.
The implementation of these changes at standalone libraries and existing multi-service centres (at Withernsea, Hessle, Pocklington, Brough and Market Weighton) is planned to be on 1 July 2017.
However, as the multi-service centres at Haltemprice and Driffield are relatively new, the reduced opening hours at these two locations will come into force at a later date, once more data is available about business levels and what times of the week are the busiest.
For the mobile library service, the revised schedule of stops will be introduced from 1 October 2017.
The council is also committed to investing £7.4 million in the creation of six more multi-service centres by 2019. These will be in Hedon, Beverley, Cottingham, Hornsea, Goole and Howden. Their detailed opening times will be determined over the next three years, as and when they are developed.
The council’s employment, education and skills team will be consolidated on the King Street site. The meeting room at North Bridlington library will continue to be available during and outside the recommended library opening hours, as it is now.
Councillor Stephen Parnaby OBE, leader of the council, said: “The council, in common with other local authorities all over the country, has to make significant savings – indeed, we have to save a further £60 million overall between now and 2020. The library service and multi –service centres must play their part in that savings process.
“However, we have always wanted to ensure that our libraries remain places that people want to visit, and I am delighted that we have been able to agree to these changes, which will help us to run a modern and vibrant library service, maintain a mobile library service, and provide even more multi-service centres into the future, staffed by professional library staff, and still run by the council. This is in direct contrast to many other local authorities across the country.
“I am pleased that we have listened to people’s views throughout this consultation process. We received strong support across the East Riding for our proposal to retain a library or multi service centre in every town and larger village but reduce the opening times.
“With regard to the mobile library service, I am delighted that we are able to retain a mobile library service, although at a reduced level. This is what our residents indicated was their preference.”
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