Libraries across Hampshire to face funding cuts
The county council says it needs to prioritise core services in the wake of a £175 million budget deficit
Hampshire’s children’s services boss has argued people won’t suffer a ”significantly detrimental” impact despite a £200,000 cut in the budget for new library stock so core services can be prioritised.
One of the 13 proposals to generate £17.5m to fill Hampshire County Council’s projected budget deficit of £175m was discussed at a meeting of the children and young people select committee, which focussed on the savings proposals programme.
There, councillors approved the recommendation to reduce the expenditure on library stock by £200,000.
Councillors heard the cost of running the library service for 2023/24 is £12.6 million, with £9.9 million coming from core funding and £2.7 million income from additional library services.
Some £1.2 million is dedicated to buying new stock, with £900,000 spent on new physical stock and £300,000 on digital resources such as eBooks and eAudiobooks.
Diminishing the annual stock spending would result in a 17 per cent increase in the combined £1.2 million spent yearly on the physical and digital stock.
Despite the funding cut, Stuart Ashley, director of children’s services, said that the impact wouldn’t be “significantly detrimental” to any particular group, considering that the reduction would allow the council to prioritise core services.
Mr Ashley said: “I can’t pretend that the public won’t notice the difference because when reducing something, there will be an impact. We’ve done the qualities impact assessment, and we don’t consider that to be significantly detrimental to any particular group.
“But I would say if a member of the public has to wait a little longer for the latest edition of a Grecian novel, for example, in the scheme of making and finding £175 million with the savings, is that proportionate? And I suggest to this committee that it is proportionate if that means we can keep our frontline social care teams keeping children safe, protecting vulnerable adults and the other core services this council needs to prioritise.
“So yes, there will be a moderate impact, but I don’t think it would be significant.”
Due to the proposal, the county council is also exploring implementing a policy on what donations can be accepted since the administration is not currently allowed to accept donated books.
Mr Ashley said: “Most donations we get offered are physical, such as books and other items, and we’ve had a long-standing policy of being unable to accept them.
“The reason for that is because they need to be in good condition. However, in light of the working group’s recommendations, I’ve asked the service to review and implement a policy that we can accept donations.
“Financially donations are very welcome, of course, but physical donations would be the most likely source we would receive.”