Ten libraries still under threat despite opposition to council reforms

Nicholas Thomas Local Democracy Reporter

Ten libraries in a Welsh county remain at risk of closure under council cost-cutting plans, despite public opposition.

Reducing the number of sites to a handful of regional “hubs” will “provide a more sustainable and resilient library service” for customers, Caerphilly County Borough Council said.

Sites in Aberbargoed, Abercarn, Abertridwr, Bedwas, Deri, Llanbradach, Machen, Nelson, Oakdale and Pengam may all still be subject to closure.

The council is likely to push ahead with the reforms despite a clear majority of respondents disagreeing with the proposals during a recent public consultation.

Just one in seven who took part in the consultation said they fully agreed with the council’s vision.

Hundreds of people said they disagreed with the council’s plans because of transport issues or a lack of reliable public transport routes to their nearest proposed “hub”.

Earmarked sites

Those sites have been earmarked for Bargoed, Blackwood, Caerphilly, Rhymney, Risca and Ystrad Mynach.

People who disagreed with the council’s proposals also said they wanted a local service within walking distance, and feared the impact on communities.

The most common reason for supporting the proposals was that a better service could be provided in fewer locations.

Caerphilly Council spends nearly half a million pounds annually on its library service, and has warned of “significant pressure” on finances.

In joint comments on the proposed reforms, council leader Cllr Sean Morgan and cabinet member for libraries Cllr Carol Andrews said libraries had “evolved” and “become so much more than a place to borrow and read books”.

They said a hub environment – such as the one already operating at Rhymney Library – “acts as a one-stop shop for residents”.

The proposed closures and the development of more hubs would “protect and future-proof” the council’s library service, they argued.

But the strength of feeling displayed during the recent consultation demonstrates how many library users feel about the proposals – although the council has conceded two sites, previously earmarked for closure, could now stay open.

Risk

The council said it acted as an “anchor tenant” in buildings where its libraries in Newbridge and New Tredegar are housed, and if they were to close the knock-on effect would potentially “present more of a risk to those communities than the loss of a library alone”.

It has now proposed setting up two “tiers” of hubs, with sites in Tier Two – currently expected to be Newbridge and Ystrad Mynach – anticipated to have shorter opening hours than those in Tier One.

New Tredegar Library would remain open but would be reviewed within three years, according to the council’s latest proposals.

The local authority will shortly begin seeking further views from residents in a new round of public consultation, which will focus on the specific proposals for each library in the county borough.

That seven-week consultation is expected to begin on January 22 following a discussion at a council cabinet meeting.