What this consultation is about
This consultation is now closed. A report was presented to Cabinet, 30 September 2014, agenda item five.
Cabinet has approved plans to continue serving thousands of residents with our mobile library service while also making significant savings.
The proposals were drawn up using feedback from almost 8,000 of you who took part in an 18 week public consultation which ran in two stages between January and August 2014.
Cabinet members approved the withdrawal of eight vehicles from service and changing mobile library routes and stops – a cut of £530,000 – at their meeting on 30 September 2014.
The service is one of many being reviewed as we face budget pressures like never before and have to cut £157 million over the next four years.
Our revised service, which will start on 12 January 2015, will maintain two standard mobile libraries working to a four-weekly timetable serving residents in 150 communities across the county.
The timetable was drawn up with proposed stops selected using criteria including current mobile library use, distance from a branch library, car ownership and local social and economic considerations such as health, housing and employment.
Residents who are unable to access library services in any other way will be assessed for our home library service if their existing mobile service is no longer available.