Libraries face new “tier” system amid more Cheshire East cost-cutting

Richer residents should consider putting their hands in their pockets to help fund Cheshire East’s libraries, one councillor has claimed.

Cllr Mary Brooks (Macclesfield, Lab) was speaking as the environment and communities committee as it approved a new libraries strategy which means some will see opening hours reduced.

Under the new strategy, which comes into effect in January, libraries will be placed into a tiering system.

Nantwich along with Crewe, Congleton, Macclesfield, and Wilmslow will be in tier one.

Alsager, Holmes Chapel, Knutsford, Middlewich, Poynton and Sandbach will be in tier two with Alderley Edge, Bollington, Disley and Handforth in tier three.

It is tier three – known as community libraries – which have taken the biggest hit as Cheshire East plans to fund these for just 1.5 days a week.

The committee was told various town and parish councils have stepped in to help, and ‘top-up’ funding has provisionally been agreed for Alderley Edge, Bollington, Disley, Handforth, Macclesfield and Poynton libraries.

Crewe and Nantwich already top up theirs, and talks are ongoing with Knutsford Town Council.

But Handforth is looking at losing 18 hours a week, even with the 3.5 hours top-up from its town council.

Ward councillor John Smith (non-grouped) questioned Cheshire East’s assessment methods, saying he believed the site assessment matrix used was biased in favour of the larger towns in Cheshire East.

“The four smaller towns in tier three would always be at a disadvantage simply because they have a smaller population,” said Cllr Smith.

He said the four smaller towns in tier three serve a substantially larger percentage of their population across the board, with 28% of Handforth’s population being active members of the library compared to Crewe at 9%.

He said 63% of the Handforth population are registered library members compared to Wilmslow at 37%.

Cllr Janet Clowes (Wybunbury, Con) agreed.

She also questioned how much more parish councils could be expected to fund, as Cheshire East was asking for support in other areas too, including election costs.

Cllr Brooks said: “Alderley Edge Parish Council reduced their precept last year by 6.5% – one of the richest villages in the country and has probably got lots of rich residents that maybe could put their hands in the pockets to actually help fund our libraries.”

She added she hoped Handforth town council could put some more money in to help fund the library next year.

Committee chair Mick Warren (Ind) said the strategy was a good one ‘in very, very uncertain financial times’.

He told the meeting: “Many months ago in policy briefings the word closures was mentioned… but was quickly dismissed because library closures are a red line for me.”

He said officers had been working with town and parish councils to try to maintain opening hours.

“Since 2016 one in 10 libraries in England have closed and it’s been done by all political colours,” said Cllr Warren.

“When a library’s gone, it’s gone. This isn’t a strategy which was worked out on the back of a cigarette packet.

“The easiest way to save money would have been to close libraries, but that’s the lazy way.”

The vote was seven in favour of the implementing strategy, five against and one abstention.

(Story by Belinda Ryan, local democracy reporter)