Kirklees Council is set to drop plans to hand over the running of eight community libraries to volunteers.

Back in February 2024 the council’s Cabinet announced plans to withdraw council staff from eight of the district’s 24 libraries.

The eight – Honley, Meltham, Kirkheaton, Marsden, Skelmanthorpe, Denby Dale, Shepley and Mirfield – were all earmarked to become ‘community-managed libraries’ run solely by volunteers.

Voluntary groups which support the smaller libraries told the council in no uncertain terms that asking volunteers to take complete control was a step too far.

One councillor even accused the council of “betraying” volunteers and ‘friends of’ groups who had helped keep their local library going in recent years. Read about that HERE.

Now, after a period of consultation, the council is set to scrap the move and says it will keep all eight libraries as part of the council-run network.

The U-turn is revealed in a report which goes to the council’s Cabinet on Tuesday September 10. The move was designed to slash costs and save almost £1 million on the library budget in 2025-26.

The council report says that while council staff will continue to support volunteers in all libraries the staff hours will be reduced in order to meet the £912,000 in planned savings. Opening hours at libraries could also be cut.

The report doesn’t mention job cuts directly but says: “There will be HR (Human Resources) implications from these changes and staff and trade unions will be consulted in accordance with the usual procedures.”

 

 

On the change in direction, the report says: “The original plans for a community managed library model were approved by Cabinet in February 2024 but have been revised based on the feedback from engagement with community partners.

“The depth of feeling from community partners about the community managed library model has been listened to.

“We heard clearly that volunteers value being part of a council network of libraries and that they think being part of this supports them to deliver effective and safe services.

“To do this will require a review of opening and staffed hours across all library locations to meet the savings target.

“The proposal will continue to provide support to those locations who do not want to become a community-managed library.”

There were two petitions submitted against the proposals, one signed by more than 3,000 people and another from Kirkheaton Library with 703 signatures.

 

 

The report says: “This engagement has shown that communities feel strongly that it is not the right thing to remove council staff from libraries.

“We have learnt that although volunteers contribute significant skills, time and commitment to libraries and take on many roles with and without the support of council staff, they strongly value being part of a council network of libraries.

“There was a strong view that many did not have enough volunteer capacity to deliver the community-managed model safely and effectively.”

A new consultation looking at “targeted reductions in paid staffing levels across all 24 libraries to meet the savings required for the 2025-26 budget” will be held this autumn and return for final Cabinet approval in 2025.

Clr Amanda Pinnock, Cabinet member for education and communities, said: “We have a brilliant library service that goes above and beyond to support our communities in Kirklees.

“I want to thank everyone who has already engaged with us about the future of our libraries. Whilst we have taken into consideration feedback from community stakeholders on our original proposals, we still have difficult decisions to make due to the tough financial circumstances that all councils are facing.

“It’s clear that communities and local organisations want to retain a level of council support for their library and our plans will make sure that happens.

“We will continue to engage with residents, local groups and volunteers and I hope people will take part in our upcoming consultation in the autumn.”

Main image of Honley Library by: Huddersfield Hub photographer SEAN DOYLE

 

Friends of Honley Library launch fundraising drive for £300k extension to put community at its heart