Decision to axe ten libraries branded ‘devastating’

Nicholas Thomas, Local Democracy Reporter

Ten libraries across a Welsh county will close at the end of August under council cost-cutting plans.

Supporters of the at-risk libraries in Caerphilly County Borough had held out for last-minute reprieve after backbench councillors called for any closures to be deferred, but those hopes were dashed on Wednesday May 14 when cabinet members pushed ahead with proposals.

Some members of the public shouted “disgusting” as they left the council chamber, while a trade union representative called the decision “devastating” and alleged Labour, which controls the local authority, had “left the door wide open for Reform”.

Libraries in Aberbargoed, Abercarn, Abertridwr, Bedwas, Deri, Llanbradach, Machen, Nelson, Oakdale and Pengam will all shut down on August 31.

Plea

At Wednesday’s cabinet meeting, members heard an “impassioned” defence of libraries from Mariam Kamish, who urged them not to “take away” opportunities from young people and “their right to a future”.

Cllr Colin Mann also spoke in opposition to the council’s proposals, telling the cabinet the at-risk libraries are “vital to the communities affected”.

Following the cabinet’s unanimous approval of the new “strategic library vision”, Caerphilly County Borough Council will now set up a series of “hubs” based on a pilot model in Rhymney.

Cllr Jamie Pritchard, the council’s deputy leader, said “hubs are working” and at Rhymney Library staff had “seen an almost doubling of people coming through the door”.

The council has touted the “success of the pilot model at Rhymney”, with officers telling the meeting the hub served as a base for other council services and organisations such as the police, as well as usual book-lending.

Larger hubs will open Bargoed, Blackwood, Caerphilly and Risca to complement the existing Rhymney site, and smaller hubs will open in Newbridge and Ystrad Mynach.

On Monday, backbench councillors had backed an alternative to the closures that would have encouraged the council and interested community groups to get around the table and find an alternative way to run the at-risk libraries.

“Difficult decisions”

Cllr Carol Andrews, the cabinet member responsible for libraries, said the council will develop a Community Outreach Service for “smaller village locations” and will “work with local communities” on opportunities for them to own libraries.

But this work will not prevent or defer the raft of expected closures at the end of August.

Cllr Eluned Stenner, the cabinet member for finance, also noted the council’s “financial challenges” and its need to make “difficult decisions”.

Caerphilly Council is forecasting a £29 million budget gap over the next three years, and is expecting to save £507,000 annually by closing the ten libraries.

Cllr Sean Morgan began Wednesday’s meeting on a conciliatory note by telling those in the public gallery “nobody gets into politics to do things like this”.

In response to Ms Kamish’s comments, Cllr Morgan added: “There’s a lot of difference between the way we think and the way current governments think.”

‘Deeply worried’

Responding to the closures’ South Wales East MS Delyth Jewell, Plaid Cymru Deputy Senedd Leader said: “I am deeply worried about the effect library closures will have across Caerphilly. If these libraries close, they’ll close down doors onto other worlds.

“Libraries are places of comfort for people who are cold or lonely, and places of wonder for children. Some children have actually contacted the council directly to tell them how much they’ll miss these libraries.

“They’ve drawn posters, written letters and sent messages. One of my constituents in Llanbradach put a photograph of a letter his young son had written on my Facebook page – the letter reads “Dear council, please keep the library. From Henry”.

“On behalf of those children like Henry and their parents I am calling for a rethink of this closure programme and for assistance to be provided to those communities to help them find other ways of keeping their libraries open, as the council cabinet goes ahead with this severely retrograde step.”

Following the meeting, Lianne Dallimore, Caerphilly branch secretary for the Unison trade union, said: “Today is a very sad day for the people of Caerphilly borough – this is a devastating decision and another example of a failure of this council to its residents.

“Labour has just left the door wide open for Reform.”