Library opening hours to be cut to save £150k

Ossett libraryOssett library
Ossett library

Wakefield Council is reducing opening hours at its libraries to save £150,000.

From next week all of the council’s 13 libraries will operate on reduced hours.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The council held a public consultation in June and said that the new opening times will help it to continue offering library services across the district.

About 2,000 people took part in the consultation and many of them were in favour of the libraries opening later in the day and keeping late night opening.

Coun Les Shaw, Wakefield Council’s Cabinet Member for Culture, Leisure and Sport, said: “Unfortunately in the current climate we simply have no choice to reduce our spending and cut opening hours.

“We have listened to what people have said and have made changes to the original proposals to reflect the times when people say they would prefer to visit their local library.”

The changes come into effect on Monday October 3.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

And the libraries affected are Airedale, Castleford, Featherstone, Hemsworth, Horbury, Knottingley, Normanton, Ossett, Pontefract, Sandal, South Elmsall, Stanley and the Wakefield One library.

This year the council says it has to save £27m, this is on top of the £119m that has already been cut from the council’s budget since 2011.

Coun Shaw added: “By reducing the opening hours of all the facilities, we can keep them open, help protect jobs and still offer our customers an excellent service.”

Full details of the new opening hours can be at www.wakefield.gov.uk/libraries