Agenda item

A copy of the report to be submitted to the Cabinet at its meeting on 19 September 2014 will be available and circulated to members of this Committee on 10 September 2014. The Committee will be invited to comment on the outcome of the consultation and the proposals. The views of the Committee will be reported to the Cabinet.

 

The report and associated appendices can be viewed through the following link, Agenda Item 13 refers: http://politics.leics.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=135&MId=4190&Ver=4

  

The Committee considered a report of the Director of Adults and Communities to be considered by the Cabinet at its meeting on 19 September 2014. The report set out the outcome of a consultation on proposed changes to the delivery of library services in Leicestershire required to make the necessary savings in line with the Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) and sought approval from the Cabinet regarding the way forward. A copy of the report is filed with these minutes, marked ‘agenda item 10’.

 

The Committee’s attention was drawn to a typing error within Appendix H of the report, ‘Summary of stakeholder comments’. Under ‘Councillor Nick Brown, Leader of Braunstone Town Council’, in the notes section it stated “30 out of 38 agree with this resolution to oppose the proposal at annual town meeting”. The 30 should have read 38 as the decision was unanimous.

 

The Chairman noted that the Committee had received written representations from a number of stakeholders regarding the consultation. Copies of these representations having been circulated to members of the Committee are appended to these minutes, as follows:-

 

·         An alternative proposal for the reorganisation of Leicestershire Libraries – Cllr Stan Coates and Mountsorrel Heritage Group;

·         Comments on the Proposals from:–

a.    Linda Marshall, Chair of Governors Fleckney CE Primary School;

b.    Geoffrey Smith, Trustee of the Old Quorn School; and

c.    Jamie McMahon, Labour Parliamentary Candidate for North West Leicestershire.

·         Letter and Petition containing 32 signatures from members of Enderby U3A Group;

·         Submissions for Desford and Markfield Community Libraries – Mr D A Sprason CC, Local Member.

 

With regard to the two submissions from Desford and Markfield, the Director advised that it was the County Council’s view that these could not be regarded as Expressions of Interest since they did not meet all of the requirements of the statutory guidance, under the Localism Act, but that the Council would, as already stated in the report, continue to work with those who made the submissions and report back to the Cabinet in November.

 

With the consent of the Chairman, Jamie McMahon, Parliamentary Candidate for North West Leicestershire, addressed the Committee.

 

Mr McMahon welcomed the proposal in the Cabinet report to undertake further work on the proposed changes including responding to the challenge about the basis used to identify the 16 main libraries. Mr McMahon advised that as a result of the current proposals four out six libraries in North West Leicestershire were at risk of closure. He urged the local communities in Measham, Ibstock, Castle Donington and Kegworth to use the proposed further time available to work with the Council to protect and improve their libraries.

 

The Chairman thanked Mr McMahon for his contribution.

 

Mr. R. Blunt CC, Cabinet Lead Member for Heritage, Leisure and Arts thanked all those who had participated during the consultation. He was delighted with the level of public interest already expressed in becoming involved in running community libraries. Noting the range of opinions and the issues raised during the consultation, he would be requesting the Cabinet to allow additional time for more detailed consideration before coming back to the Cabinet in November. This included:

 

·         the commissioning of an independent organisation, Red Quadrant, to report on the implications of the challenges made to the rationale for proposing full council funding for 16 libraries;

·         receiving the advice of a Scrutiny Review Panel on the infrastructure support package for communities who would wish to manage their libraries;

·         further work to be undertaken by officers to consider the suggestions made during the consultation before presenting a final model to the Cabinet at its meeting in November.

 

He went on to advise the Committee that having visited both Warwickshire CC and Hammersmith and Fulham library services recently, which had both implemented a community library model, he had received feedback that the County Council offer was a generous one. Further engagement with community groups in exploring the local running of their library service would be undertaken once the community library model and infrastructure support package had been agreed.

 

Arising from discussion the following points were noted:-

 

     i)        Members understood the need for the proposed reduction in opening hours across the 16 major libraries in order to help meet the required MTFS savings and welcomed the fact that an Equality and Human Rights Impact Assessment had set out an improvement plan to mitigate any impact that a reduction in opening hours may have on the identified protected groups within the report;

 

    ii)        Some members had received feedback during the consultation that community groups had found it difficult to progress their proposals initially due to a lack of detail in the proposed infrastructure offer. It was therefore pleasing to note that a Scrutiny Review Panel was proposed to look at this in greater detail and report back to both this Committee and Cabinet in November;

 

   iii)        The remit of the Panel would include consideration of how the proposed infrastructure model could be designed so as to recognise the range of community groups and the differing support requirements that were likely to come forward. There was no intention for a ‘one size fits all’ model but that any variances to the infrastructure proposals would need to be within the defined parameters and ensure delivery of the required MTFS savings. It was noted that interest had already been expressed by communities looking to manage their individual libraries, but also from groups of communities wishing to explore a federation model which could help in the obtaining of external funding;

 

   iv)        A number of members commented that the remit of the Scrutiny Review Panel should be extended. The Committee was advised that the scope of the Panel was discussed with the Scrutiny Commissioners following a discussion at the Transformation Board.

 

The Scrutiny Committee welcomed the fact that a number of community groups had already entered into discussions with the County Council and hoped that all 36 communities containing smaller, mainly rural libraries would seize the opportunity for continued engagement with the County Council on this matter.

 

RESOLVED:

 

a)    That the outcome of the consultation and its findings, together with representations received at the meeting, be noted;

 

b)    That the representations and views now made by the Committee be reported to the Cabinet, including that:

 

             i)        support be given to the establishment of a Scrutiny Review Panel to review the proposed infrastructure support package for communities wishing to operate community libraries;

 

            ii)        the proposal for officers to undertake further work to consider the suggestions made during the consultation, including a response to the challenge raised about the basis for identifying the 16 main libraries and to present a final model to the Cabinet at its meeting in November for consideration, be welcomed;

 

           iii)        the proposed 20% reduction in opening hours across 16 major libraries and shopping centre libraries, as set out in Appendix A to the report, be noted.