New chapter means shorter library hours
NEW shortened opening hours for libraries will begin this week as Cheshire East Council looks to cut expenditure.
Changes come into effect on Friday, for the borough’s libraries including those in Macclesfield town centre, Bollington, Prestbury, Poynton and Disley.
The council says they are necessary as part of measures to balance its under pressure budget for the year.
Macclesfield Library, on Jordangate, will still open six days a week.
From 10am to 7pm on Mondays and Thursdays, 10am to 5pm on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 10am to 1pm Fridays and 9am to 1pm Saturdays.
Poynton will also open six days: 10am to 5pm Monday, Thursday and Friday, 10am to 6pm Tuesdays, 10am to 1pm Wednesdays, and 9am to 1pm Saturdays.
Prestbury will open 10am to 1pm and 2pm to 5pm on Tuesdays, and 10.15am to 1pm on Fridays.
Bollington is 10am to 6pm on Tuesdays, 10am to 5pm Wednesday,
Thursday and Friday, and 9.30am to 1pm Saturday. And Disley is 9am to 1pm Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday, and 2pm to 6pm Thursday and Friday.
Councillor Mick Warren, chair of the environment and communities committee, said: “We understand just how much libraries are valued by local communities.
“We have worked hard to reduce the impact on library opening hours as much as possible, while ensuring that we can make essential savings to balance our budget and protect services.
“As significant pressures on council finances remain, we have continued to explore opportunities to make the libraries service financially more self-sufficient, such as by bringing in third parties for wider community use benefits.”
The council is still inviting expressions of interest from town and parish councils to explore ways of working together to deliver library services.