Agenda item

Motion to Full Council: Protecting and Revitalising Library Services

This Council notes that

• Staffing levels and reduced opening hours across BCP libraries have affected accessibility, especially for families, vulnerable residents, and older people.
• Hamworthy Library serves as a case study highlighting the wider consequences of underfunding library services.
• BCP Council is currently undergoing a community governance review in relation to the development of Town and Parish Councils across the conurbation.

This Council further notes that:

• The closure of the community café in Hamworthy Library, as part of recent budget cuts, has had a deep and disproportionate impact on the local community, despite limited fiscal savings.
• This closure led to the redundancy of valued staff.
• Footfall has significantly declined, and the library has lost its function as a vibrant social and democratic hub. Councillor surgeries, for example, are now less accessible and welcoming, with no option for a friendly cuppa and conversation.
• The café infrastructure remains in place, offering an opportunity for revitalisation with the right support.

This Council believes that:

• Libraries are vital to the social infrastructure of our communities — offering education, connectivity, wellbeing support, and civic engagement.
• Staffing and consistent opening hours should be protected and prioritised in future budget planning.
• Offering Café and community spaces within the same space as a library adds significant social value and should be supported,
• The potential for Town and Parish Councils to take on some responsibility for local library provision should be explored carefully, with attention to the short-, medium and long-term impacts on sustainability including the implications for staff, service quality, and community access.

This Council therefore resolves that in developing the Library Strategy the relevant Portfolio Holders be asked to consider the following:

1. Prioritise staffing and opening hours in future Library Strategy, to maintain and strengthen access to these vital public services across BCP.
2. Conduct a detailed review into the closure of the café at Hamworthy Library, including its social and economic impact, and explore options for reinstatement as well as exploring the provision of similar facilities elsewhere.
3. Ensure that the Library Strategy includes an assessment of the condition, usage, and community role of library services across the conurbation, with a focus on restoring or enhancing social space where needed.
4. Include an options appraisal outlining the impacts of devolving library assets or responsibilities to Town and Parish Councils, including potential risks, benefits, and support requirements ensuring that library services align with the ongoing community governance review.
5. That the final report should specifically reference the actions taken in response to these points.

Council was advised that one motion had been received on this occasion.

Protecting and Revitalising Library Services

The following motion was submitted in accordance with Procedure Rule 10 of the Meeting Procedure Rules and was moved by Councillor Peter Cooper and seconded by Councillor Patrick Canavan.

This Council notes that:

·       Staffing levels and reduced opening hours acrossBCP librarieshave affected accessibility, especiallyfor families, vulnerableresidents, and olderpeople.

·       Hamworthy Library servesas acase study highlightingthe wider consequencesof underfundinglibrary services.

·       BCP Councilis currentlyundergoing acommunity governancereview in relationto the developmentof Town andParish Councilsacross theconurbation.

This Council furthernotes that:

·       The closure of the community café in HamworthyLibrary, as partof recent budgetcuts, hashad a deepand disproportionate impact onthe local community,despite limited fiscalsavings.

·       This closure led tothe redundancy ofvalued staff.

·       Footfall has significantly declined, and thelibrary haslost itsfunction asa vibrant socialand democratichub. Councillorsurgeries, forexample, are now lessaccessible andwelcoming, withno optionfor afriendly cuppa andconversation.

·       The café infrastructureremains inplace, offering anopportunity forrevitalisation with the right support.

This Council believes that:

·       Libraries are vitalto the socialinfrastructure ofour communities— offering education, connectivity,wellbeing support, and civicengagement.

·       Staffing and consistent opening hours shouldbe protected andprioritised infuture budget planning.

·       Offering Café and communityspaces within the samespace as alibrary adds significant socialvalue and shouldbe supported,

·       The potential forTown and ParishCouncils to takeon someresponsibility forlocal library provisionshould beexplored carefully, withattention to theshort-, mediumand long-term impactson sustainability includingthe implications forstaff, service quality,and communityaccess.

This Council therefore resolves that in developing the Library Strategy the relevant Portfolio Holders be asked to consider the following:

1.    Prioritise staffing and opening hours in future Library Strategy, to maintain and strengthen access to these vital public services across BCP.

2.    Conduct a detailed review into the closure of the café at Hamworthy Library, including its social and economic impact, and explore options for reinstatement as well as exploring the provision of similar facilities elsewhere.

3.    Ensure that the Library Strategy includes an assessment of the condition, usage, and community role of library services across the conurbation, with a focus on restoring or enhancing social space where needed.

4.    Include an options appraisal outlining the impacts of devolving library assets or responsibilities to Town and Parish Councils, including potential risks, benefits, and support requirements ensuring that library services align with the ongoing community governance review.

5.    That the final report should specifically reference the actions taken in response to these points.

Councillor Andy Martin proposed an amendment to the motion with the deletions and insertions as set out below: -

ThisCouncil notesthat:

·       Staffinglevels andreduced openinghours across inBCP libraries,as partof achievinga balanced24/25 budget,haveinevitably affected accessibility,especially forsomefamilies, vulnerable residents,and olderpeople.

·       Hamworthy Library serves as a case study highlighting once againthe wider consequencesof centralgovernment underfunding oflocal governmenton library services.

·       BCP Council is currentlyundergoing a communitygovernance reviewin relationto the development of Town and Parish Councils across the conurbation.

ThisCouncil furthernotes that:

·       The closure of the community café in Hamworthy Library,as partof the Councills2024/25 total £40m budget savings, recent budget cuts, has had an deep and disproportionate impact on the local community., despite limited fiscal savings.

·       Thisclosure ledto theredundancy ofvalued staff.

·       Footfallhas significantlyinevitably declined, andthe library’shas lostits functionas avibrant functionas asocialand democratichub hasbeen impacted.Councillor surgeries, forexample, arenow lessaccessible andwelcoming, withno optionfor a friendly cuppa and conversation.

·       The café infrastructureremains inplace, offeringan opportunityfor revitalisationwith the right support.

ThisCouncil believesthat:

·       Librariesare vitalto thesocial infrastructureof ourcommunities —offering education, connectivity, wellbeing support, and civic engagement.

·       Staffing andconsistentopening hoursshould be protected and prioritisedkeyconsiderations in future budget planning.

·       Offering Café and community spaces within the same space as a library adds significant social value and should be supported, where possible.

·       The potential for Town and Parish Councils to take on some responsibility for local library provision shouldbe exploredcarefully, withattention tothe short-,medium and long-term impacts on sustainability including the implications for staff, service quality, and community access.

ThisCouncil thereforeresolves thatin developingthe LibraryStrategyandin thecontext ofongoing budget constraints, the relevant Portfolio Holders be asked to consider thefollowing:

1.      Prioritise Recognise the importance of staffing and openinghours in future the forthcoming LibraryStrategy, to maintain and strengthen access tothese vital public services across BCP.

2.      Conducta detailedreview intothe closureAspart ofthe strategy,look atviable optionsfor the future of the café at Hamworthy Library, including its social and economicimpact, andexplore options for reinstatementas well asexploring andthe provision of similar facilities elsewhere in recognition of the role and importance they play in ourcommunities.

3.      Ensure that the Library Strategy includes an assessment of the condition, usage, and communityrole oflibrary servicesacross theconurbation, witha focuson restoring or enhancing social space where needed this is achievable.

4.      Include anoptions appraisaloutlining theimpacts ofdevolving libraryassets orresponsibilities toTown andParish Councils,including potentialrisks, benefits,and supportrequirements ensuringthat libraryservices alignwith theongoing communitygovernance review.Subject tothe outcomeof theCommunity GovernanceReview, undertake a further review of the risks, benefits and feasibility of anyexisting or newly createdTown orParish Councilsworking incollaboration withCP andthe DCMSto support librarieswithin theirarea andtaking intoaccount legal advice

5.      That Ensurethe finalreport specificallyincludes referencetothese considerations and the actions taken in response to these points.

6.      Urgeour fiveMPs inBCP tomake everyeffort atnational levelto securemore fundingfrom central government to invest in our vital library service.

7.      Askthe Leader of theCouncil to write to ourMPs and the Culture Secretaryto pointout that whilst allthe ambitions inthis motion are admirable and desirable, unless thereis a positive change in approach to funding local authorities from central government, then they will remain beyond this council.

This amendment was seconded by

The proposer and seconder of the original motion advised that they accepted the amendment. Council agreement was sought to confirm the amendment as the substantive motion which was subsequently carried without dissent.

Councillor Olivia Brown left the meeting at 11.16pm

This Council therefore resolves that in developing the Library Strategy and in the context of ongoing budget constraints, the relevant Portfolio Holders:

1.    Recognise the importance of staffing and opening hours in the forthcoming Library Strategy, to maintain and strengthen access to these vital public services across BCP.

2.    As part of the strategy, look at viable options for the future of the café at Hamworthy Library, and the provision of similar facilities elsewhere in recognition of the role and importance they play in our communities.

3.    Ensure that the Library Strategy includes an assessment of the condition, usage, and community role of library services across the conurbation, with a focus on restoring or enhancing social space where this is achievable.

4.    Subject to the outcome of the Community Governance Review, undertake a further review of the risks, benefits and feasibility of any existing or newly created Town or Parish Councils working in collaboration with CP and the DCMS to support libraries within their area and taking into account legal advice.

5.    Ensure the final report includes reference to these considerations and the actions taken in response to these points.

6.    Urge our five MPs in BCP to make every effort at national level to secure more funding from central government to invest in our vital library service.

7.    Ask the Leader of the Council to write to our MPs and the Culture Secretary to point out that whilst all the ambitions in this motion are admirable and desirable, unless there is a positive change in approach to funding local authorities from central government, then they will remain beyond this council.

Voting: For:45, Against:3, Abstentions:1

Councillor Millie Earl declared a non-pecuniary interest in this item in relation to her involvement with the community fridge and remained present for the discussion and voting thereon.

Councillors David Flagg and Margaret Phipps left the meeting at 11.39pm