A NEW plan for the future of library provision across North Yorkshire has provoked a mixed response from campaigners fighting to maintain their services.
After months of consultation and debate, the county council has revealed exactly where cuts will be made to opening hours and staffing in each library in the region.
From April all libraries will see a reduction in their opening hours, with libraries in Northallerton and Catterick Garrison each losing more than 10 hours of staffing time, while Richmond will lose six hours, Stokesley eight hours and Bedale five hours.
Community groups and volunteers are expected to step in to make up the hours lost and in some cases will provide most, if not all, of the staffing provision.
Campaigners for Great Ayton library expressed outrage that it will be the only library to lose all staffing support from the county council and will be expected to create an entirely volunteer-run service in less than five months.
The county council will debate the proposals at an executive meeting on November 22.
The authority originally proposed axing 22 of its 42 libraries, but after a huge public outcry it cut the number of libraries which would no longer be staffed to eight, which instead will be run by community groups.
One library will close after Malton and Norton agreed to a combined facility for the two towns.
Alison Jarvis, a member of the Great Ayton Keep It Public group, said: “We will get nothing from the county council and if we can’t come up with a viable business plan then it will shut in April. It will need to be wholly run by volunteers, which is outrageously unfair. We were probably the area that was most vocal and we have been penalised for that.”
County Councillor Chris Metcalfe, executive member for libraries, said: “This is a tremendous achievement, largely down to the positive attitudes and enthusiasm of people across North Yorkshire who cherish this much-loved service.
“We have listened to what people have said about how they want to become involved and I’m delighted to say that the result is a set of proposals designed to ensure a viable and sustainable future for our libraries.”
To view the proposals for each library visit www.northyorks.gov.uk/libraryconsultation
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