East Yorkshire libraries to be protected

East Riding of Yorkshire Council’s cabinet announced on Tuesday that every town and larger village in the East Riding will retain a library or - in the cases of Pocklington, Brough and Market Weighton - multi-service centre, but said some would have their opening hours reduced.

The council also said a mobile library service would also be continued, though the level of service was likely to be reduced, and both libraries in Bridlington will also be saved, with reduced opening hours.

The changes, which follow months of public consultation, will save the council about £1.2 million without closing a single library or multi-service centre or ceasing to provide the mobile library service.

Councillor Stephen Parnaby OBE, council leader, said: “We have to save a further £60 million overall between now and 2020. The library service and multi-service centres must play their part in that savings process.

“We have always wanted to ensure that our libraries remain places that people want to visit, and I am delighted that we have been able to agree to these changes, which will help us to run a modern and vibrant library service, maintain a mobile library service, and provide even more multi-service centres into the future, staffed by professional library staff, and still run by the council.”

Cllr Parnaby said there had been strong support from the public throughout the consultation, and changes to opening times would likely come into effect next July.

The mobile library service will begin a revised schedule of stops from October next year, and the council has also announced it will invest £7.4 million in the creation of six more multi-service centres by 2019.

These will be in Hedon, Beverley, Cottingham, Hornsea, Goole and Howden.

The council’s employment, education and skills team will be consolidated on the King Street site, and the meeting room at North Bridlington library will continue to be available during and outside the recommended library opening hours.