Parish councils to pay for longer library hours

Parish councils in parts of Cheshire are set to pay to keep libraries in their areas open for longer.

Cheshire East Council is looking to reduce hours at some sites, as part of its plans to save almost £100m over the next four years.

Parish councils in areas including Alderley Edge, Bollington and Poynton are set to play towards keeping libraries open for longer.

As part of the plans, all libraries would be placed into different tiers which determines their opening hours.

Libraries in Congleton, Crewe, Macclesfield, Nantwich and Wilmslow have all been classed as tier one while Alsager, Holmes Chapel, Knutsford, Middlewich, Poynton and Sandbach would be tier two.

Alderley Edge, Bollington, Disley and Handforth would become tier three libraries, known as community libraries.

Around 3,500 people responded to a consultation on the plans, with 49% in support of the tier system and 37% against it.

Parish councils in Alderley Edge, Bollington, Disley, Handforth and Poynton have agreed to fund some additional hours.

Knutsford Town Council is in talks over a volunteer-led service for one day, while Macclesfield Town Council could put extra funding into the library by combining the visitor information centre into the site.

Bollington Town Council is putting the most funding in as it would pay for 50% of its current opening time.

Councils in Crewe and Nantwich already pay top-up funding for their libraries.

Mick Warren, the chair of Cheshire East Council’s environment and communities committee, said the council wanted to continue developing its library services

“Unprecedented financial pressures mean we must also be realistic about how these services are delivered and that the limited resources the council has are focused on the places where demand and need is greatest,” he said.

The plans are set to be signed off by the council’s environment and communities committee on Wednesday (27 November).

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