Libraries to stay shut on Mondays
The move was described as a ‘shock’ by opposition councillors, who said they suspected it was just the start of a series of service cuts yet to emerge.
Councillor Tim Oliver, leader of the Walsall Labour Group, said: “We have to question the wisdom of this shock news – especially at a time when unfortunately many Walsall residents will actually have more time on their hands due to the ‘credit crunch’. “This just shows why Walsall Labour Group voted against the Conservative budget in council last week, and we have to worry what other details from the small print will come to light over the coming weeks.”
The council says the move, to be introduced on April 6, will save £130,000 a year for the next three years.
A statement from Councillor Louise Harrison revealed that under the budget recommendations discussed at the last full council meeting, around seven equivalent posts in library services will be made redundant.
However, most if not all posts will be absorbed through the council’s voluntary redundancy scheme.
Under the terms agreed by members, all 16 of the council’s libraries will remain closed on Mondays.
However, on days the libraries are open, they will open half an hour earlier at 9am.
Alan Gibbons comments:
“What is this, a severe case of Bob Geldof- ‘I don’t like Mondays’?”
“Once libraries-especially borough-wide- go down the route of closing for whole days the whole idea of a community facility which is open, welcoming and reliable begins to vanish. Has Walsall consulted the MLA or independent advisors? All too often councils seem to take the easiest or most obvious path, not necessarily the best one for the public. When visitors start to be unsure about opening hours, library visits (footfall in the jargon) and issues can fall. A cycle of decline is set in motion after which councillors can say: ‘Look, nobody is using these facilities.’
“The council leadership should be pressed to exhaust every possible avenue before they even think about going down this route.”
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