As many of us prepare to head off on summer holidays over the next few weeks, the future of the city's library service, which could see local branches closed, is likely to be decided in August.
August council meetings discussing libraries held in public at Civic Centre
Overview & Scrutiny Committee - Aug 13, 5.30pm | Cabinet - Aug 18, 4.30pm

 

 

Above: flashback to a packed public meeting in February called to find ways to keep Cobbett Road Library open

 

Last year the council said it was embarking on a “journey of transformation” for the city's library service, which involved earmarking five libraries, including Cobbett Road in Bitterne Park, for “community-led initiatives or for disposal”.

'All ideas considered'

Southampton City Council says it received over 6,300 responses to its consultation, and there's now a “significant piece of work being undertaken by Opinion Research Services to analyse the responses. Cabinet will then consider the results of the consultation, including all ideas received, before taking a decision on the way forward.”

The issue is now scheduled to go before cabinet on August 18 from 4.30pm, with the report and recommendations published beforehand.

But before that, it's likely to go to the 'Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee' meeting on August 13 from 5.30pm. That meeting's role is to make recommendations to inform the cabinet. It's understood all councillors can attend this meeting and potentially participate, not just members of the committee.

Following the cabinet meeting, the scrutiny committee could choose to 'call in' the decision and make further recommendations, before returning it to cabinet for a final decision.

All these meetings are held in public.

Those who have campaigned over months to keep libraries open will no doubt be looking very hard for evidence that all options have seriously been considered when proposals are published.

Attendees reviewed options in smaller groups

As well as much work by Friends of Cobbett Road Library (FOCRL) behind the scenes, politicians from many parties came together with residents at a packed public meeting on February 23 in Bitterne Park, where marker pens and flip charts were the order of the day, and ideas that might keep Cobbett open flowed.

Rachel Hickman, secretary of FOCRL, says she's hopeful that “the council will have listened and will be willing to utilise the ideas that the Friends worked so hard on to reduce the cost even further of running Cobbett, while still keeping it as such a valued council-run library for the community”.

Steps forward

“It is hoped also that the council will appreciate the steps forward in reducing the cost of Cobbett already taken, such as lowered heating costs (now the heating system has been replaced) and also the language evening classes which will be running from September.

“We have to defend our libraries, they are important for so many reasons and to so many people throughout their lives. Cobbett is the heart of our community. Losing it would be isolating for many people, old and young. There are so many alternative options to 'closure or Community run', including having outside groups using the library on days when it isn't open.

“With the backing of the council, these are viable options.” 

Protesters gather at the Bargate in March dressed in black