Bollington Library cuts could be mitigated by Town Council as Cheshire East launches consultation

Taxpayers are now able to write in their views on changes to Cheshire East Council libraries, with one form of local government stepping in to help maintain a large amount of opening hours.

Cheshire East Council has launched a six-week consultation on its draft libraries strategy, which includes asking for feedback on a tiering system for how library services would be promoted and invested in going forward.

Bollington Library is one of four Cheshire East Council libraries that would be most greatly affected.

Cash-strapped Cheshire East Council seek to make savings in library services of £615,000 over the next two years to support the council's medium-term financial strategy (MTFS) 2024-2028.

The top-up collab between the two forms of local government.

The MTFS needs to achieve budget savings of £100 million to continue offering support to Cheshire East's most vulnerable residents.

The proposed tier system would see Cheshire East Council only provide staff funding for 2 days (16 hours) per week at Bollington Library wind down, and be ran more as a 'community library', with more volunteers and self-service involved.

But Bollington Town Council has also committed to match this funding, to mitigate the impact of the cuts.

Without this top up from the smaller form of local government, the amount of service hours would have halved and the Saturday opening would have been lost. Cheshire East Council has offered to pay for 16 hours, to Bollington Town Council's 16.5.

There had been fears that the library were to close altogether, before this consultation was launched.

Bollington Town Council has been contacted for comment on this. But did not reply as of Friday August 9.

The proposal on match funding would also go out as a separate consultation by Bollington Town Council at a future date, to make sure it is something residents want.

Bollington Library, of Palmerston Street, is currently open Tuesday to Saturday, and still would be thanks to this top-up funding. This funding filling of the gaps, would mean the schedule would maintain the same with funding from both local government bodies.

Cheshire East Council claim that the changes will have no impact on nine community groups that currently meet there, from baby groups to Lego club. However, the dementia group that meets at Bollington Library on Wednesday is not mentioned within the consultation.

Campaign group Friends of Bollington Library, who have wholly opposed the changes and had believed that the library were to close altogether, has been contacted by Macclesfield Nub News for comment on this alternative service provision proposed.

Cheshire East Council's proposals left out the possibility of a Saturday service at Bollington, however, the Town Council has stepped in to propose this through top-up funding.

The just-launched Cheshire East Council consultation can be found online.

Councillor Mick Warren, chair of Cheshire East Council's environment and communities committee, said: "We know that libraries are very important to our residents, and we absolutely recognise the value of the services they offer.

"Significant financial pressures mean we have to transform the way in which these services are delivered. There is far less money to spend, and we must focus the resources we do have in the places where demand and need is greatest.

"The proposed tier system for libraries that is included in our draft strategy mirrors how many other councils are already operating their own sites.

The flag flies for Cheshire East Council outside Crewe Municipal Buildings.

"It provides opportunities for us to deliver library and other council services in a much more joined up way – such as Family Hubs, which bring services together so families with children and young people can access the right help and support, at the right time in one place.

"It also provides us with opportunities to invest in our core sites, explore how we can use them to generate income, and to use new technologies so library services are more accessible to our residents."

Cllr Warren added: "While we have been developing our strategy, we have been engaging with community organisations and town and parish councils to explore opportunities for them to support library services in their local area.

"Some of the options that have been put forward as a result of these conversations, which are still ongoing, are included in the consultation so that residents can share their views. This includes proposals for Bollington, Handforth and Disley libraries."

Cheshire East Council HQ, Westfields.

The survey also asks the public on their views on different ways of operating libraries, like community libraties, ran as a charity or trust, and outsourcing to external providers.

The final question in the consultation also ponders whether library times could be extended, unstaffed, thanks to the use of technology. Highlighting that it could improve cost efficiency but reduce the quality of service with no human interaction.

After considering the feedback from the consultation, final proposals for libraries will be developed and brought back to committee in autumn.

The consultation can be filled in online until runs until Sunday 15 September.