Plan to close library in deprived neighbourhood challenged

Nicholas Thomas, local democracy reporter

The decision to shut a library in one of Wales’ most deprived areas has been questioned by an opposition councillor, who worried about the impact it could have on older people and those on low incomes.

The closure of Pill Library in Newport on August 28 is just one arm of the city council’s strategy to cut costs within its book-lending services.

Pill Library is one of the city’s least-used libraries, according to the council, which is planning to replace the facility with an “outreach service” – although concrete details are yet to be confirmed.

Cllr Pat Drewett, the cabinet member for communities, said the city’s libraries “have to develop to meet the changing needs of our residents”.

But money is also playing a part in the council’s decision.

The local authority has to “make the best use of our buildings for the benefit of residents as well as ensuring they are financially sustainable following what have been extremely challenging times for the public sector”, added Cllr Drewett.

Solution

The decision has been called into question by Cllr Matthew Evans, who leads the Conservative opposition in the council chamber.

He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service the council should look for an “innovative solution” rather than close down a library in “one of the most vulnerable communities in the whole of Wales”.

Cllr Evans called libraries a “focal point for the community” and said they were “particularly important in areas where finances are going to be more limited”, as well as a “lifeline” for older people who may not have access to the internet at home.

Newport City Council passed a string of budget-saving measures earlier this year, designed at trimming spending and shoring up balances in the face of wider economic pressures.

The city received the most generous increase in central Welsh Government settlements, which make up the majority of local government funding, but senior councillors argued inflationary pressures and increased costs of services meant the local authority would still need to make significant savings.

Libraries were one of the the services to face cuts, with the facilities in Pill and St Julians both earmarked for closure, as the city’s least-used sites.

Central Library

The vast majority of business is done at the council’s Central Library and its virtual service, accounting for 69% of loans over the last five years, according to a council report.

Other changes include the council setting up its own “curating” approach to its book fund, rather than using an external firm to provide a “generic offer”.

“With fewer library sites, this new approach will allow NCC to reduce its book fund by £46,000 to £136,000,” the council said in the report.

Other changes include the moving of Bettws Library into the neighbourhood’s community centre, and Malpas Library transferring to Malpas Court Mansion House, which is also set to be the new home of adult learning courses previously held at St Julians Community Education Centre.

It is estimated the library changes, along with the plans to expand services at Malpas Court, will save the council £159,000 over the next two years.

So what next for library services in Pill?

Cllr Drewett talked up alternatives such as the “extremely popular” Borrow Box scheme, but conceded people “still like to visit libraries in the traditional way”.

He said the council has planned to “ have a greater emphasis on public engagement with more events and activities to promote reading as well as improve literacy”.

The council is also in “discussions” around self-service library outlets or a volunteer-led option, it said.