Last-ditch appeal against cuts to library opening hours fails

Haringey Council is going ahead with plans to reduce library hours as part of a raft of cuts planned for its next budget, reports Grace Howarth, Local Democracy Reporter

Wood Green Library and (inset left) cabinet member Emily Arkell and (inset right) Alessandra Rossetti

Haringey Council’s decision to cut library opening hours by 26% across the borough will not be reconsidered despite a last-ditch appeal by opposition councillors and campaigners.

Last month the council approved plans to reduce library hours as part of a raft of cuts planned for its next budget. A new operating model will commence from May, subject to a consultation with affected staff.

This is despite opposition Liberal Democrat councillors and local residents fighting to stop the controversial plan. At an overview and scrutiny committee meeting yesterday (Monday 6th), councillors debated a ‘call-in’ request by the Lib Dems.

Alessandra Rossetti, who led the call-in, said: “The main point of the call-in is the council should publish a library strategy before recommending any changes to the library opening hours.

“Only when this is completed will the decision satisfy the policy framework.”

Bob Harris and Annette Pennington, co-chairs of Friends of Reading and Education (Fore), a network of library groups, spoke at the meeting to call for the decision to be referred back to the cabinet and be reconsidered.

This would have enabled the council to see if a “mutually acceptable agreement” could be reached.

Labour committee member Lester Buxton asked the two Fore members if they thought the consultation process had been “insufficient”.

Agreeing, especially in regards to consultation of an alternative third option of opening hours that the council eventually went with, Bob said he accepted it was an “attempt to find a way forward” but that he remained concerned there had not been time to consult on it.

Following opposition to one option which would have seen a reduction in opening hours of 39% and a second option which would have seen a 34% reduction, the council proposed the third option which it described as a “post consultation option”.

Annette said: “Each library is different in its location, make-up and needs, and it would be interesting to get an idea of the use of the individual libraries rather than have a reduction of hours proposed without that.

“Many libraries do have an opportunity to have more people in the evenings but on this plan libraries are closing at 6pm, which isn’t very useful for children seeking to do their homework as many do. We’re trying to encourage younger people to use libraries fully.”

The Fore members mentioned Haringey becoming ‘London Borough of Culture’ in 2027 and that keeping libraries open longer, particularly during that year, would be advantageous.

They said libraries also presented an opportunity to generate income, something they felt could be achieved without reducing the service.

In response Kenneth Tharp, the council’s assistant director for culture and creativity, said: “In terms of the library strategy, that process will begin in earnest as soon as this bit of the process is done.

“We’re looking at a timetable of about six months and I have a meeting with colleagues tomorrow [Tuesday 7th] to talk through that, it will be consulted on.

“We see this as the key opportunity to collaborate and co-design, there’s an appetite that we have heard expressed tonight to look at the needs of each individual library and some libraries are different and have certain needs.”

Putting the reason for the decision on hours coming before a strategy down to the need to make savings, cabinet member for culture and leisure Emily Arkell said: “We think ideally the way we would have preferred to have done this is to have a strategy in place first.”

However, Cllr Rossetti argued the council had had five years to do this work.

Cllr Arkell mentioned Covid-19 and mounting cost pressures, exemplified by Haringey’s application for ‘exceptional financial support’ from the government, as reasons for delays.

The council forecasts the library opening hours cut will save £675,000, which will go towards its 2025/26 budget.

Cllr Arkell added: “We have had a programme of work, I wouldn’t go as far to describe it as a strategy but an investment of £5million into the branch libraries over the last few years has made sure they’re accessible and improved their standards.”

Following the discussion, the committee decided that no further action would be taken, meaning the original decision will stand.

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