Council plan to close public toilets but save libraries

[dutchman]

Coventry council library cuts consultation branded a 'sham' by campaigners

A council consultation into library cuts has been branded a “sham” by campaigners after initial plans were barely altered despite feedback from thousands of people.

Coventry council revealed its ‘Connecting Communities’ strategy in November, a plan which will save £1.2million from the budget for libraries, play centres and public toilets. It will result in 35 jobs cuts and the closure of the city’s mobile library.

Thousands responded to the plans during an eight-week public consultation which saw 80 meetings take place and more than 12,000 people contacted directly by the council.

But the only change set to be made to the far-reaching strategy is a minor tweak to opening hours at three of the city’s 17 libraries.

Reacting to the cuts, which are due to be signed off during a council cabinet meeting on February 23, Save Coventry Libraries Group said they disputed the insistence that there were no viable alternatives.

A statement said: “We are both saddened and dismayed that Coventry City Council have chosen to proceed with the majority of the proposed cuts to the library service.

“We know that thousands responded to the consultation and gave passionate and heartfelt reasons for preserving and enhancing the library service.

“After considering these pleas for a pitiful ten days, the council has decided to completely ignore them and go ahead with cutting staff, opening hours and parts of the service.

"How in ten days can they possibly have collated these responses, summarised them, met with relevant staff, including the head of service, let alone deliberated and considered these results?

“The consultation has, in effect, been a sham exercise only carried out because they were forced to it by the strength of public opinion and as a part of the process.”

Save Coventry Libraries said: “We are particularly dismayed that Coun Kershaw stated that ‘no viable alternative had been suggested’ and even ‘people have not come up with alternative ideas’.

“Many library users and supporters attended the consultation meetings and completed the consultation documents.

"Many ideas were given including using the council’s reserves, approaching the city’s universities for sponsorship of a library, applying for arts funding, selling some of the city’s ‘hidden’ artwork and cutting councillor’s excessive expenses to name but a few.”

[dutchman]

Several libraries could close if community groups cannot be found to run them



A number of Coventry libraries could be shut if community groups cannot be found to take them over in a bid to save millions from the council budget.

Coventry City Council bosses said they “had no choice” but to draw up the measures faced with “savage” government cuts.

Under the proposals Caludon, Cheylesmore, Coundon, Finham and Earlsdon libraries will be shut if community groups do not take them on.

They will be able to use existing stock, equipment and in some cases buildings and will receive council advice and support but no staff.

It is hoped that libraries in Aldermoor, Canley, Hillfields, Jubilee Crescent and Allesley Park will be run on a partnership basis with other groups and could be located with other community organisations or services.

Only Central, Bell Green, Foleshill , Stoke and Tile Hill libraries will continue to be run by the council under the proposal.

Any changes to the library service would mean the loss of about 30 jobs and a budget cut of around £1million.

The city’s education boss Coun Kevin Maton said: “This is the price of the government’s austerity programme.

“Against the backdrop of savage, continuing government cuts we have had no choice about developing proposals that will affect the services we know Coventry people value.

“Our priority is to support, as far as possible, our most vulnerable residents and find ways of working with the many groups across the city who we know are interested in doing more in their communities.

“The first phase of this programme has already seen us save around £1.2 million a year, but we have always made it clear that we would have to find another £3.8 million a year.

“These proposals will deliver this and ensure that the areas that need them most get the best possible services we can still provide – often working more closely in partnership with the NHS, the police and other partners.”

A consultation is expected to take place from September to November with a final decision being made in early 2017.

The library service has already been subject to cuts with the lease at the library at Arena Park ending in September.

Plans for Holbrooks Community Care Association to take the facility on are subject to review.

Willenhall library will also have moved to the Hagard Community Centre by the end of September.

They're hardly "libraries" any more, more like internet cafés.

[dutchman]

Dozens of protesters campaign about library cuts outside Coventry Council House



Dozens of campaigners staged a protest today outside the Council House to highlight the plight of Coventry’s libraries.

They gathered after it emerged a number of libraries could shut if community groups cannot be found to take them over in a bid to save millions from the council budget.

About 60 people held banners and chanted before the July full council meeting.

Among the protesters was a man who relies on Coundon library to help educate his six-year-old daughter at home.

The dad, who did not want to be named, said: “Our local library is so close to us we can hop over there in two minutes. It’s such a source of information because there’s more books than we can possibly own ourselves.”

Nicky Downes, who chairs Save Coventry Libraries and works as a teacher, said librarians at Hillfields library were the lifeblood of the library and supported children’s learning.

She added: “We’re extremely concerned. We’re spending our parents’ evenings signing up children to the libraries.”

Save Coventry Libraries campaigner Sarah Smith said libraries are no longer just books but were also important for people out of work looking for a job.

[dutchman]

Could Coventry's libraries go online to save cash?



Ordering books online and picking them up from a community centre could be the future for some of Coventry’s library users.

Coventry City Council has come up with the idea of keeping some books in storage.

Library users would go online, search a list of books in the store and choose which ones they would like.

Staff would get the chosen books off shelves and send them out to community centres for the library users to collect.

Councillors regard the proposal as an extension of the existing system in which people can request books from other libraries to delivered to their local library.

Coun Kevin Maton (Lab, Henley), cabinet member for learning and skills which includes libraries said: “Some council wards like mine, Henley, don't have libraries.

“We are looking to move towards people being able to order their books online and then collect them.

“They won’t be on the shelves on whichever library but they will be available to order.

“There will be somewhere they will be able to collect the books they have ordered.

“It’s a proposal at this stage.”

Sarah Smith of Save Coventry Libraries said she was “shocked and saddened” at the idea.

The proposal comes amid sweeping cuts to the city’s library service.

Arena Park Library in Classic Drive, Rowleys Green, is due to close on Saturday, August 27.

Plans are being made to move some of the books to Holbrooks Community Care Association in nearby Holbrook Lane, and reopening the library there.

The council wants community groups to take over libraries at Caludon, Cheylesmore, Coundon, Finham, and Earlsdon .

Willenhall Library is to be moved into the neighbouring Hagard Youth and Community Centre.

Council bosses aim to run Aldermoor, Canley, Hillfields, Jubilee Crescent and Allesley Park libraries as partnerships with other organisations.

Central, Bell Green, Foleshill , Stoke and Tile Hill libraries are set to continue to be run by the council.

The aim is to save £1 million.

[dutchman]

Unison calls for halt to Coventry council closure plan for libraries, youth clubs and children's centres



UNIONS have hit out at Coventry City Council’s proposals to axe youth clubs, close some libraries, children’s centres and nurseries under its ‘Connecting Communities’ plan.

A three-month consultation period ended last month and key decisions are set to be taken from this month when the universal youth service is set to end.

Unison the union, which represents thousands of council workers, has issued a statement saying ‘fundamental questions have not been answered’.

It states: “Coventry City UNISON has responded with deep concern to the recent ‘Connecting Communities’ proposals from the city council.

“UNISON believes proposals will severely impact specific groups of Coventry residents such as children, older people and black and minority ethnic origin (BAME) people.

“It is unclear how the proposed ‘transformation models’ are sustainable ways to deliver crucial services.

“People will lose access to local facilities -with many older people and children not having the ability to visit a library within easy distance of their home.

“Those losing face to face access to local libraries to learn and use a computer could be seriously disadvantaged in their ability to receive crucial services as they are increasingly being delivered via IT dominated facilities in Coventry city centre.

UNISON Branch Secretary, Sarah Feeney, said: “This proposal could have a disastrous effect on young people in our city.

“We will cease to deliver meaningful services to most young people. It is imperative that the remaining provision should be strengthened and not cut.

“The documents themselves are opaque. It is of great concern that there are so many questions still left unanswered.

“In some cases, these are large fundamental questions such as what the service will look like and which partners are involved.

”UNISON believes that this proposal should be withdrawn and that the consultation should be done when a clear model of what will happen is available to be consulted upon.”

The proposal is for £3.5million savings following further government funding cuts.

Feedback on the consultation is due to go before the council’s leading Labour cabinet on March 7.

For more visit http://www.coventryunison.co.uk, the Coventry Observer website and Coventry City Council’s website’s Connecting Communities page.

[dutchman]

Coventry libraries to stay open another year as £2.4m council cuts announced



Plans to close libraries have been stalled for another year as Coventry City Council announces £2.4m worth of cuts to services that help the city’s most vulnerable.

While libraries have been saved for now, funding for youth services and dozens of full-time jobs will be axed if proposals for youth services, children’s centres and libraries are approved on March 7.

Around 85 jobs, mostly in children’s centres, are likely to go - but council bosses have pledged to help affected staff by offering early retirement, voluntary redundancy or training options.

After the closure of Arena Park library and its relocation to Holbrooks Community Centre, the council has given its reassurance that no other libraries will close for the next 12 months.

Earlsdon, Finham and Cheylesmore libraries will start the transition to become community-led libraries.

The council said discussions will also continue to enable the transition of Caludon library to a community-led library.

Since a decision could not be made on the future of Coundon library during the consultation, plans for the library will be deferred so future options can be developed.

Cllr Kevin Maton, cabinet member for education and skills, said: “No libraries will close through these proposals.

“For libraries that could have closed, we are working with groups to enable a transition for these libraries to become community-led.
“We are making saving but still keeping a comprehensive library offer across Coventry.”

During a meeting with council bosses on Wednesday, the Telegraph was told that the council would ensure proper safeguarding measures were put in place in community-led libraries.

[dutchman]

Some of Coventry's libraries are changing - here's what you need to know

Major changes to Coventry’s library services come into effect next week.

They include the relocation of Hillfields Library and three others being taken over by volunteer groups.

Coventry City Council said the changes had to be made due to government budget cuts.

Cllr Kevin Maton, cabinet member for education and skills said: “People will see a change in the status of some of our libraries as a result of government cuts.

“There is a responsibility for the council to provide a comprehensive library service.

“But it has not been made easy because the government are not providing the resources to do that in the scale that we have been used to in Coventry in the last few years.

“But we have had a good response in terms of volunteering so a whole host of new services and opportunities will be taking place in our libraries too.

“We have had to make cuts so there is no hiding from the fact that there will be less staff around to help people seeking information and assistance. However we are introducing new self-service technology so we can ensure people can take out books etc. when they need to.

“What we hope is that this technology will be in place for many routine tasks so that library staff will be available to offer more in the way of information, and not simply issuing books.

“People will be able to reserve books online and they will be issued through machines like those in supermarkets. We would encourage anyone who doesn’t feel comfortable using these new technologies to contact their library and ask for help where staff will be happy to assist.”

The Hillfields Library will be moving from St Peters to the Watch Centre on Victoria Street, Hillfields.

The new site will be open from September 4 with books for adults and children and computers to use for free.

Services including job club, adult learning and young people’s project will still be available at WATCH.

People can continue to use the same library card or join the library for free.

It will be open from 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday and closed at the weekend.

Finham Library will be run by Finham Library action group volunteers from September 4.

You can continue to use your library card to borrow books and use computers at Finham Library.

Opening hours will change to Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10am to 6pm.

You can return books to any library in the city or renew online.

More information can be found at the Finham action group website: https://finhamlibrary.uk/

Earlsdon Library will also become volunteer-led under the Earlsdon Library friends group.

You can continue to use your library card to borrow books and use computers at Earlsdon Library.

Opening hours may change but books can be returned to any library in the city or renewed online.

Cheylesmore Library closed on Friday, 11 August for maintenance work.

It will reopen from 4 September and be run by a team of 30 volunteers from Cheylesmore Community Centre, with initial support from a council librarian.

Volunteer Facilitator Pauline Venables said: "We have a passionate and dedicated group of local residents with a varied array of skills. Some of our volunteers are ex-librarians. Everyone is determined to keep this amazing facility open for the neighbourhood."

You can continue to use your library card to borrow books and use computers and books can be renewed at any city library or online.

Cheylesmore Library’s new email address will be library@cheylesmorecentre.co.uk and their new website will be http://www.cheylesmorecentre.co.uk/library/

"Coventry City Council said the changes had to be made due to government budget cuts." Cobblers!

[dutchman]

Council 'exploring options' to save at-risk library



Work to save Earlsdon Library from closure is continuing after the volunteer group chosen to run it said it could no longer work with the council.

Earlsdon Library Friends - a small group of Earlsdon residents - stepped in to run the facility as a community-led library in September 2017 after Coventry City Council announced plans to shut several libraries and save £4 million.

But the group announced it has formally stepped down as a partner to the council, saying it could not continue after being told it would have to stump up the full cost of bills, business rates, insurance and more with no council support.

One of the volunteers at the library said the library is still very popular with locals.

She added: "The volunteers are gutted. I feel very emotional, we all do.

"When I got here this morning there were people waiting outside for the doors to open.

"A known statement from the authority is about a strategy to combat isolation. Well we have Help the Aged in here at the moment.

"Last week when it was raining we had about 20 parents come out in the awful weather to do Rhymetime [a group for baby's and toddlers to learn rhymes, songs and movements]."

They added: "We need our library, it is well used and in a future City of Culture surely we should be able to keep it open?"

A petition is being set up to save the library.

Signatures will be collected at the upcoming Earlsdon Festival on May 7.

[Melisandre]

Reminds me of when a certain country burnt all the books so are we to rely on the internet for our books when we have government controlling what we can and can't read or see already on the net . I find this a dangerous way of going also they won't be satisfied until they have destroyed all our community places like they did with pubs bringing out no smoking yet the none smokers stopped going because their mates that smoked stopped going.

[dutchman]

Work to save Earlsdon Library from closure is continuing after the volunteer group chosen to run it said it could no longer work with the council.

That won't surprise anyone who's ever tried to work with this council!