Campaigners have welcomed plans to begin spending hundreds of thousands of pounds on some of Nottingham’s libraries – provided three which were once under threat of closure remain protected.
Labour-run Nottingham City Council ’s Libraries Service is planning a programme of investment, using a combination of grants and council budgets, over the next four years.
The four-year plan to invest comes despite the council admitting it cannot say with certainty the three libraries which were previously at risk of closure can now be totally protected.
These libraries included the Radford-Lenton Library, Aspley Library and Basford Library.
All were saved from closure at the eleventh hour in January following a campaign by the Save Nottingham Libraries group.
The council had planned to close them as part of budget cuts to save £79,000 a year, however it opted to reduce their opening hours instead as part of newly revised proposals agreed in January.
In a delegated decision the council now says it is looking to spend £505,628 on a contract with a design agency to deliver improvements to library interiors across the city.
One project is already under way at Hyson Green Library.
Projects will be started on a case-by-case basis and only when the finances have been secured.
Save Nottingham Libraries campaigner Des Conway said the city’s libraries are in need of investment.
“It’s obviously project funding rather than mainstream funding, but so long as this additional funding doesn’t interfere with the proposals endorsed at the Executive Board in January regarding the library portfolio going forward, we are OK with it,” he said.
“We would support any project that enhances the user experience across the portfolio of Nottingham city libraries.
“We know from our successful campaign that the three beautiful, historic libraries which were saved from dissolution at Aspley, Basford and Radford are in need of some investment due to the nature and age of the buildings, which require regular maintenance.
“I suspect the libraries which this project will mainly be earmarking for these design makeovers though are the rather soulless joint service libraries in St Ann’s, Bulwell, Hyson Green and Sneinton Dale, and anything which improves the user experience in these centres is to be welcomed.”
The campaign group recently sent an open letter to Cllr Pavlos Kotsonis (Lab), whose portfolio covers libraries, arguing they are the “life-blood of their local communities and funding should in fact be ringfenced”.
But in response Cllr Kotsonis said: “We expect 2023 to be a very positive year for the Libraries Service and I’m working closely with officers to deliver the new Central Library, as well as the new Sherwood Library later this year.
“The Strategic Council Plan is currently being reworked following the local elections but we have made a commitment as councillors to maintain a high-quality library service with central open and accessible to all, with excellent provision for children.
“However the financial climate remains challenging for all councils and unfortunately savings have to be found across every department, mine included.
“What I can say with certainty, though, is that I will do everything I can to protect the service.
“We’ll be exploring ways to shield the council against that as much as we can.”
