Nottingham City Council says the cost of living crisis will have to be taken into account when deciding whether or not to keep some of its libraries open. The authority first revealed at the start of the year that it was planning to close three libraries to save £233,000.
But a "restructure of frontline services" means that £154,000 has already been saved to date and that shutting the three libraries would now only save £79,000. Thousands of members of the public also opposed the closure of the Basford, Aspley and Radford-Lenton libraries during a consultation.
The issue was raised at a meeting of Nottingham City Council on Monday (October 31). The Save Nottingham Libraries Group were protesting outside the Old Market Square's Council House ahead of that meeting to demand clarity on the situation.
READ MORE: Hopes high that new town centre shops will 'take off'
Stewart Halforty, 42, a Sneinton resident who is part of the Save Nottingham Libraries Group, said: "We don't actually think that the council needs to close these three libraries.
"We think that there is someone in the council who likes these joint service centres where it's a library, but also a doctor's and a welfare centre and so on, but we think for a cultural mix you have to have facilities that are solely libraries. These are beautiful buildings built in the 1920s and 1930s in working class areas.
"There is a move now to these modern, glass-fronted buildings. But we say that these beautiful buildings in working class areas are the last places that the council should be closing."
Councillor Pavlos Kotsonis, portfolio holder for leisure, culture and planning at Nottingham City Council, said during Monday's meeting that a decision would be made clear next month. He said: "A final decision hasn't been taken on the libraries consultation yet, but we will be taking a report to our executive board meeting next month. We are looking at all possible options to respond effectively to the feedback we received from the consultation and the cost of living crisis is an issue which needs to be factored in, as it affects all of us."
READ NEXT:
