A plea to delay a decision on how Devon’s libraries should be overhauled has been made after criticisms of a report ahead of a crunch decision.
The outcome of a major consultation that secured more than 25,000 responses about the future of Devon’s libraries is being pored over by officials in a bid to create a range of proposals for potential changes over how the county’s libraries operate.
But a key scrutiny committee criticised a report put in front of it because the analysis of the feedback remains ongoing, meaning it wasn’t presented with any concrete proposals to query.
“This is thin gruel, but it’s all we have to eat,” said Councillor Simon Rake, vice chair of the corporate infrastructure and regulatory services scrutiny committee.
Others echoed the frustration that the committee had not been presented with actual proposals to question, but cabinet members were among those to echo that any changes could be positive, and reiterated that the council had found extra cash to help fund libraries.
That included a decision to reverse a proposed £650,000 saving target that had been pencilled in for the 2025/26 financial year, plus the creation of a £1 million transformation fund.
Possible developments within the potential overhaul of libraries include so-called ‘Open +’ technology’, whereby library members would be able to use a library outside hours, while another suggestion was to group libraries into networks, meaning that even if a local library was closed, one nearby would be open.
But campaigners stressed the challenges of travelling between towns and villages by public transport, and suggested some of the most vulnerable library users wouldn’t be able to travel to access the services elsewhere.
While the cabinet member overseeing the potential changes, Councillor Cheryl Cottle-Hunkin, and the council’s chief executive Donna Manson, stressed positives about the council’s library services, the scrutiny committee repeated its frustration.
“I’m concerned and annoyed that we have not got the details of what will be proposed at cabinet as there has been so much worry about the consultation and I feel there is a lack of detail at such a very close stage to a decision being made in May,” said Councillor Sara Wilson (Green Party, Ilfracombe).
“It’s not helpful to us as councillors in our communities, as we should be able to answer questions about what’s developing.”
The report presented to the scrutiny committee contained high-level findings from the library consultation, including that 6,000 people said they would be willing to volunteer to help staff libraries, that more than half stating the proposed changes to library hours would affect how often they visit, and that nearly three-quarters (70 per cent) want extended opening hours.
But firm proposals that the council’s cabinet will debate and decide upon were lacking, and now may be created and voted upon before the next scrutiny meeting.
Various members expressed displeasure at this, but cabinet member Councillor Dan Thomas (Liberal Democrat, South Brent & Yealmpton), who attended the meeting, stressed that almost half the cabinet were present and “here to hear what the committee wants”.
“We will then go to cabinet and make a decision, and I think it’s disappointing that you think cabinet won’t listen to one of its scrutiny committees,” he said.
He stated that during the budget-setting process at the recent full council meeting, around 80 per cent of the 24 amendment proposals were adopted, which he suggested showed the decisionmaking body did listen.
“We’re not against scrutiny,” he added, “I’m not a member of this committee, but I am here to listen and if you make recommendations they will be heavily in my mind at cabinet.”
Cllr Rake noted that the lack of detail “cuts both ways”.
“As we are thin on detail, it allows the committee to make recommendations from a blank page,” he added.
The committee agreed seven recommendations to cabinet, including a request for cabinet to defer its decision to allow “pre-decision scrutiny”, and that any changes would not lead to a reduction in statutory operating hours.
Councillor Cheryll Cottle-Hunkin (Liberal Democrat, Torrington Rural), said it was important to stress that “no decisions have been made”.
“We are listening and there are a lot of positive opportunities arising out of the consultation,” Cllr Cottle-Hunkin stated.
“Without the consultation, we wouldn’t have got the information we do, or the potential support from residents, so I hope we can work together to make our libraries even stronger.”
Devon’s next cabinet meeting is on Wednesday 20 May, and could be where a decision on the future of the library service is taken.
However, cabinet decisions can be ‘called in’, meaning a scrutiny committee could request the chance to query them before they become official policy.
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