Council approves library cost-cutting plan

Cuts to library services aimed at reducing the budget by £300,000 a year have been approved.

Conservative-led Northumberland County Council's cabinet boasted there would be no compulsory job losses under the plan, which also sees more face-to-face services in rural areas, however hours will be cut and staff numbers reduced through voluntary redundancies.

A consultation saw 6,000 residents have their say before the cabinet approved plans which included some libraries being staffed for 12 hours per week and others being run by volunteers .

Cabinet member for finance councillor Nick Oliver said: "We're trying to modernise and make the service meet changing needs."

Primary libraries in Amble, Bedlington, Haltwhistle, Ponteland, Rothbury and Wooler will now be staffed for 30 hours per week.

Meanwhile seven secondary libraries will be staffed for 12 hours per week and while eight Community Access Libraries will be volunteer-run, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The local authority said technology is being tested to introduce more self service in some areas of the county over a three-year period.

Councillor Wendy Pattison, cabinet member for leisure, tourism and culture, said residents in rural and remote communities will now be able to access face-to-face guidance and support from any of the 21 libraries instead of having to travel to one of six information centres.

Council leader Glen Sanderson said at a cabinet meeting on Tuesday. "Opposition councillors predicted this would be the beginning of the end of our library service, with people thrown on to the unemployment scrapheap, but that has not happened."

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