The Future of Bristol’s Libraries
Bristol’s Liberal Democrat Councillors have successfully averted a potential cut to the city’s libraries that could’ve slashed the service’s budget in half. Published at the start of the year, up to £2.4 million in savings were presented as an option to the Council’s Finance Sub Committee. Following strong opposition from Liberal Democrat Councillors, no cuts at all to libraries are included in the draft budget for the forthcoming year, as revealed by papers published today.
The Liberal Democrats have a long-standing commitment to ensuring that Bristol has a library service of which the city can be proud. Since May 2024, and the change to the new committee system, the City Council’s Public Health and Communities Committee has had oversight of the library service. The committee is chaired by Liberal Democrat Councillor Stephen Williams (Westbury-on-Trym and Henleaze).
On the victory to secure funding for libraries and of his time so far as Chair of the committee, Stephen said “My first priority on taking office was to make it clear that any attempt to revive plans of the previous Labour Mayor to move the Central Library were dead on arrival. I want Bristol’s iconic Central Library to be a showpiece destination for Bristolians and a treasure house of learning and discovery.”
Stephen also worked with officers to lift the previous Labour administration’s recruitment freeze, which had led to sporadic branch library closures. Our libraries are now open for their advertised days and hours, and it is no longer a guessing game for Bristolians as to whether their library will be open or not when they turn up.
“Going forward, we must continue to safeguard the future of our library service, even at a time of enormous budget pressures across the council”, added Stephen. “During this budget-setting process, all service areas have been considered for cuts, including libraries. The publication of the draft budget proposal shows that the biggest adjustment to the original set of potential savings is the removal of the £2.4 million cut to the library budget.
“I am delighted by this outcome for our libraries, and I am pleased to have agreed this with Green Party administration colleagues. I have been making it very clear, in all of our internal discussions, that this cut did not have the support of me or my fellow Liberal Democrat councillors.
“I do, however, recognise that the library service needs a radical overhaul, as it has been the subject of big budget reductions over the last decade that have left us with a truncated service.
“Many of the city’s branch libraries are closed for three or four days a week and, on the days that they are open, it is often for only a few hours. I am committed to righting these issues and making sure that Bristol has a library service fit for future generations.”
To focus on the challenges facing the library service, a working group of the Public Health and Communities Committee is due to be established in the coming months.
“My committee will set up a cross-party group to conduct a root-and-branch review of the service” explained Stephen. “I’m pleased that we will now have the time and space to do this meaningfully, without the immediate pressure of a budget cut. However, one of our objectives will be to craft a service that is financially sustainable.
“We will also be looking at ways of improving the service offering by having libraries open at the times of day most useful for their communities. Additionally, we will see what other activities could take place in the network of library buildings, and whether library outlets could be opened in other venues. I look forward to working with the various library ‘friends-of’ groups and others who want to see a revamped service that meets the needs of Bristol.”
ENDS
Notes to editors:
- Papers for the Strategy and Resources meeting: ModernGov - bristol.gov.uk
- Lib Dem press release on the draft budget in general: Liberal Democrats Welcome City’s Draft Budget Proposals - Bristol Liberal Democrats
- Lib Dem press release on the initial savings options and library cuts: Bristol Lib Dems fight against proposed library closures - Bristol Liberal Democrats
- Lib Dem group response to Local Government Finance Settlement: Local Government Finance Settlement Response from Bristol Lib Dem Councillors - Bristol Liberal Democrats