Agenda item

Mr P M Hill, Cabinet Member for Community Services; Mr D Crilley, Director of Libraries, Youth, Culture and Sport; and Ms S Sparks, Strategic Manager, Libraries and Archives, Communities Directorate, will attend the meeting at 11.30 am to answer Members’ questions on this decision.

(1)       Mr P M Hill, Cabinet Member for Community Services; Mr D Crilley, Director of Libraries, Youth, Culture and Sport; and Ms S Sparks, Strategic Manager, Libraries and Archives, Communities Directorate, attended the meeting to answer Members’ questions on this item.

(2)       At the outset, Mr Hill outlined the strategy for libraries.  He said that there had been a significant increase in book issues (bucking the national trend), and increased customer satisfaction, particularly in those libraries that had been refurbished.  However, some libraries had been considered unfit for their purpose because of poor premises or under use.  These libraries were being reviewed on a case by case basis.  The reviews of Dymchurch, Horsmonden and Whitfield libraries had concluded that the only way to improve the service was to close the existing premises and replace the service with a mobile library.

(3)       The Committee went on to consider each of the three libraries separately.

Dymchurch

(4)       Mr Crilley and Ms Sparks explained that Dymchurch library was housed in rented accommodation which was inadequate as a library or for any other KCC use, not least because it had no water supply.  The local Member, Mr Wood-Brignall, understood the problems and believed that the proposed new mobile library service would be an improvement.  The local Parish Council had been invited to comment but had not done so.

(5)       The possibility of re-locating the library to the local primary school had been explored but rejected because of security concerns.  Shepway District Council had been approached but had no suitable premises in the area which could accommodate the library.

Horsmonden

(6)       Mr Crilley and Ms Sparks explained that Horsmonden library was housed within the local primary school.  OFSTED and the school’s governors had expressed concern about the possible impact of the library on the safety of pupils and, as a result, the library’s opening hours had been restricted.  The possibility of relocating the library within the school had been explored but it had proved impossible to overcome the safety concerns.  The local Member, Mr A J King, accepted that the safety of school pupils was paramount and that the library should be replaced by a mobile service.  There had been a great deal of helpful discussion with the local Parish Council but this had not led to the identification of any alternative site within the village.  The Parish Council had originally supported the alternative service proposal but had now suggested some other options, which would be explored.

Whitfield

(7)       Mr Crilley and Ms Sparks explained that Whitfield library was housed in the village hall.  The local Member, Mr Cope, supported the proposal to replace the library with a mobile service.  The local Parish Council had been invited to comment but had not done so.  The Village Hall Management Committee regretted that the library might close.  The possibility of relocating the library elsewhere in Whitfield had been fully explored but without success.

(8)       In response to suggestions from Members of the Committee, Mr Crilley agreed to incorporate additional information in any future reports on changes in the libraries service.

(9)       RESOLVED that:-

(a)       Mr Hill, Mr Crilley and Ms Sparks be thanked for attending the meeting and answering Members’ questions;

(b)       the agreement by the Director of Libraries, Youth, Culture and Sport to incorporate in future reports on changes in the libraries service:-

(i)         the views of the local Member;

(ii)        the views of the local Parish Council;

(iii)       greater range of usage statistics (eg footfall, membership, visitors per hour, etc);

(iv)       greater details of survey of users, etc (eg copy of survey and number sent to individual library users,

be welcomed;

(c)        the Director of Libraries, Youth, Culture and Sport be asked to explore alternative means of enabling people affected by the closure of Dymchurch, Horsmonden and Whitfield libraries to use public access computers (eg mobile library vehicle equipped with PCs).