Proposals were brought to the Cabinet Committee today to slash library services despite strong public rejection through consultation. The proposals include reducing opening hours by over 30% across Birmingham’s libraries, leaving only 10 open 4 days a week and 13 only open 3 days. No concrete plan is included for those “co-located and partner-led opportunities”, effectively meaning the Cabinet voted to close these 11 libraries leaving them in uncertain limbo as to their future, with council funding and/or assets withdrawn.
Birmingham City Council is cutting funding to libraries across the city as part of massive service cuts in an attempt to deal with its ongoing self-inflicted financial crisis. Birmingham Local Conservatives have campaigned consistently throughout the public consultation to retain all libraries on full-time opening hours. Labour Councillors have, at every opportunity, voted in support of the cuts – including voting against last year's alternative budget from Birmingham Local Conservatives, which would have saved libraries and was approved by the Finance Department and signed off by the Commissioners.
Once again today, Labour councillors on the Cabinet voted through proposals to slash the library service despite strong objections from the public and opposition councillors. As such, Birmingham Local Conservative councillors Cllr Deirdre Alden & Cllr Timothy Huxtable are “calling in” this decision.
Cllr Robert Alden (Con, Erdington), Leader of the opposition and Birmingham Local Conservatives, said after the committee meeting,
Labour’s plan to switch from a model which focuses on ‘Library buildings to library services’ strikes me as nothing short of a smoke screen behind which Labour will hack away at libraries across the city, closing ever more of them. Libraries are not just places where vital services are delivered; they are the heart of a community and a crucial part of that place’s identity, providing valuable support to residents. Labour say they are shifting to a focus on the service, yet are reducing the public’s ability to access that service. This seems like a set-up to reduce the number of users and justify further cuts next year. Let me be frank – this is a Labour attack on the future of Libraries, on local identity and on the areas we call home.
Cllr Ewan Mackey (Con, Sutton Roughley), Deputy Leader of the Opposition and Birmingham Local Conservatives, added,
The impact the proposals made today will have across Birmingham and Sutton Coldfield is really worrying – a 32% reduction of service will directly hit those with less access to education, trying to improve their lives and better themselves. It’ll remove reliable access to services which people count on. Removing support for those libraries which will now be ‘partner-led’ could essentially cut those libraries and those service users adrift, putting the assets linked to those libraries at serious risk.
Cllr David Pears (Con, Sutton Trinity) also said,
Cllr Rob Pocock made a point of highlighting in today’s meeting that he has the opportunity to vote on the future of Sutton and its libraries more than any other individual – and at every turn, Red Rob has wielded the axe against Sutton’s libraries and the services delivered within them.
