Library cuts dropped by council as income improves
BBCLibrary services in Staffordshire will get extra cash while ones in Warwickshire will not face cuts, following decisions by their respective local authorities.
Staffordshire County Council said it was investing an extra £5m into a number of libraries in its area over the next five years.
Meanwhile Warwickshire County Council said it was scaling back planned cuts to services after a better than expected public health grant as well as income from business rates.
It comes as some areas – such as Birmingham – could see library services reduced as councils face budget pressures.
In Staffordshire, councillor Victoria Wilson described their 43 libraries as "cornerstones of their communities".
She added: "We know how much they are valued, so I am delighted that we are able to invest in all the county council-managed libraries that have not been refurbished in recent years."
The authority is set to allocate about £4m to be revamp its libraries in Leek, Wombourne, Stone, Biddulph, Perton, Kidsgrove, Burntwood, Rugeley, Uttoxeter and Cannock.
About £1m will also be shared between 27 community managed libraries.
In the last decade, a council spokesperson said they had opened new libraries in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Stafford, Codsall and Lichfield and refurbished ones in Burton-upon-Trent and Tamworth.
'Constant challenge'
In Warwickshire, the county council revealed it intended to row back some planned cuts to its library service.
A spokesperson for the authority said, since setting its budget earlier this month, it had received confirmation of better than expected funding figures.
The council's leaders are expected to ditch plans to reduce Sunday opening hours while scaling back a proposed expansion of a scheme to move more libraries into being taken on by their community.
The spokesperson said they would spend more on health services based out of library buildings - including health checks and domestic violence services.
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