Issue - meetings
Outcome of Public Consultation on the Proposed Closure of Thomas Aveling Library
Meeting: 11/07/2017 - Cabinet (Item 4)
4 Outcome of Public Consultation on the Proposed Closure of Thomas Aveling Library 
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Additional documents:
Minutes:
Background:
This report provided details of the outcomes of the consultation on the future of Thomas Aveling Public Library, where the Council had indicated its preferred option was to close the library. The proposal for the potential closure of the library was included in the Capital and Revenue Budgets 2017/18 report submitted to Full Council on 23 February 2017. An analysis of Thomas Aveling’s performance was undertaken and set out in the consultation document. Public consultation started on 21 April 2017, and ran to 15 June 2017.
Consultation documents, including analysis of the consultation findings were included in Appendices 1 and 2. The survey received 151 responses; of those responding, 145 identified themselves as current Thomas Aveling users.
Cabinet also considered an addendum report which set out the comments of the Business Support Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 6 July 2017.
A Diversity Impact Assessment (DIA) was included at Appendix 3 to the report.
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Decision number: |
Decision: |
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The Cabinet noted the comments of the Business Support Overview and Scrutiny Committee and endorsed the Assistant Director’s Comments in section 2 of the addendum report. |
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65/2017 |
The Cabinet agreed the closure of Thomas Aveling Public Library. |
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66/2017 |
The Cabinet agreed that the precise closure date would be agreed by the Director of Regeneration, Culture, Environment and Transformation, in consultation with the Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Housing and Community Services. |
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67/2017 |
The Cabinet agreed that negotiations with Thomas Aveling School in relation to the notice period of the rent would be conducted by the Director of Regeneration, Culture, Environment and Transformation, in consultation with the Chief Legal Officer and the Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Housing and Community Services. |
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The Cabinet noted that the implementation of the mitigations outlined in paragraph 5 of the report would be undertaken by the Director of Regeneration, Culture, Environment and Transformation, in consultation with the Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Housing and Community Services. |
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The Cabinet noted that the Planning Committee would be asked to consider a report to vary the obligation on the school to facilitate provision of a community library as set out in the agreement made further to conditions to the relevant Planning decision. |
Reasons:
The decision to close Thomas Aveling Public Library is due to it being a poorly performing library, with limited use by the local population. There is no scope to improve the library offer, as has been achieved elsewhere, due to the fixed and limited opening hours, with the library only available Monday to Friday from 3.00pm, not the most popular time that the public make use of libraries.
Alternative and better facilities and services for all users are available at other libraries, particularly the Community Hubs and these form a key part of a range of mitigation proposals that can be put into place.