Plea for council to keep libraries open

Slough: Five potential cost-cutting measures have been outlined

A plea has been made for Slough’s libraries to be kept open ‘at all costs’ after a consultation was launched over their future.

Slough Borough Council has said changes need to be made to its library services and has outlined five potential costcutting measures.

Options include keeping all library buildings running but reducing their opening hours, reducing the money spent on books, moving services to different locations in the borough or closing both Langley and Cippenham libraries.

Conservative councillor Chandra Muvvala (Con, Langley Kedermister) told a full council meeting on Tuesday that the closure of libraries could impact ‘thousands of lives’.

He said: “If we decide to close libraries, that means we are impacting the development of thousands of children who are the future of Slough.

“We should not be considering closing any library without any second thought for the sake of thousands of children.”

Fellow Tory councillor Paul Kelly (Con, Haymill and Lynch Hill) added:

“It is essential that our libraries are kept open at all costs.

“These proposed cuts are terribly thought-out and a clear panic to find funding from somewhere, anywhere, without thinking about the damage to our residents.

“If we close these libraries generations now and to come will rightly question how we allowed this to happen.”

Councillor Muvvala submitted a motion asking the council to guarantee no closure of a library can take place until an alternative provision is in place.

This request was refused with the council stating closures will only take place as a last resort.

Council leader James Swindlehurst urged residents to take part in the ongoing public consultation over the future of libraries and said no decision has been taken.

He added: “We want the biggest return to this consultation we can get so we’re confident in the decisions we make in response but closure is absolutely a last resort.”

Visit www.slough.gov.uk/libraryconsultation to view the consultation.