By Anna Whittaker, Local Democracy Reporter
Campaigners say they are relieved after it was announced three libraries are expected to be saved from closure by Nottingham City Council.
Aspley, Basford and Radford-Lenton libraries had been earmarked for the axe as part of budget proposals.
The group ‘Save Nottingham Libraries’ has campaigned for them to be saved since the closure proposals were first announced by the authority in January 2022.
The new proposals to save the libraries will be voted on at the council’s executive board meeting on January 17. They are recommended for approval by council officers.
The proposals say the libraries will stay open with shorter opening times which will go towards the savings required. Aspley Library will also be modified to create a ‘stock distribution and outreach hub’ while remaining as a public library.
The council says £154,000 has also been saved through a staffing restructure in the library service.
The remaining £79,000 will be saved through a reduction in library opening hours.
A report on the council’s new plans added: “This, along with strong public feedback against the closure proposals and emerging factors such as the important role of libraries during the cost-of-living crisis and as warm hubs, has allowed the council to look again at how to achieve the necessary changes and savings.”
A final council decision was expected to be made in November and then December, but never materialised.
Stewart Halforty, who is a part of the campaign group, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “We’re delighted, it’s the outcome we wanted.
“We know there was a great deal of love for these libraries.
“Everyone is very relieved, it was a very good campaign, it lasted nearly a year with a lot of work put in.
“2,500 people signed our petition and we’ve hosted events to bring people into their libraries.
“We met an 80-year-old woman who had been coming to the library in Aspley since she was a child.
“You don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone and now we’ve seen these beautiful libraries it’s important they’re developed.
“We are looking to form the group into ‘Friends of Nottingham libraries’ to raise funds to make sure the council don’t come back and try to close them in five years’ time.”
The council considered closing either Radford-Lenton library or Basford, but this was rejected.
The report to be discussed at the Executive Board meeting states: “The transformation principles and revised recommendations provides a positive response to the views and concerns raised by individuals and communities and the strong opposition to closures.
“The recommendations still enable the transformation to create a modern library service that remains relevant, whilst still responding to financial pressures facing the local authority and the specific delivery of the savings requirement.”
