Portsmouth News

New opening hours for the county’s libraries

Changes to be announced soon

- By MARIA ZACCARO

CHANGES to Hampshire libraries’ opening hours are set to be unveiled next month.

The 40 county councilrun libraries will have new opening hours following a public consultati­on.

In July, Hampshire County Council approved plans to close eight libraries, after a decision-making process that lasted several months.

Then, earlier this month the authority launched a consultati­on as it looked to reduce the opening hours of the remaining 40 libraries. Its survey closed on August 17.

It was proposed to reduce libraries’ opening hours by an average of 20 per cent.

But a county council document revealed that the opening hours of some libraries could increase or decrease by up to 39 per cent ‘to achieve a standardis­ed approach’.

Cllr Seán Woodward, executive member for recreation and heritage at the county council, said: ‘The team are currently analysing responses to the consultati­on confirming the changes in staffed opening times at Hampshire libraries and we will be in a position to confirm the details of these in early September.

‘The decision to reduce staffed opening hours was one of the recommenda­tions I agreed at my decision day in July, so the exact times for each branch are not subject to a separate decision.

‘We will make sure this informatio­n is available to customers, for example on our web page and in library branches, in good time before any changes are made which we expect to be complete by

January 2021.’

As reported, the libraries set for closure are those at Elson in Gosport, Lee-on-theSolent, Horndean, Fair Oak, Blackfield, Lyndhurst, South Ham in Basingstok­e and Odiham.

Emsworth was spared after campaigner­s found a new site. The authority also withdrew its support to community libraries in Lowford, Milford-on-Sea and North Baddesley.

The closures as well as the proposed reduction in opening hours, are part of a move that would save the council £1.76m.

The decision follows a first public consultati­on held earlier this year.

It does not affect any libraries run by Portsmouth City Council.

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 ??  ?? CUTS Hampshire libraries opening hours will be reduced
CUTS Hampshire libraries opening hours will be reduced

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