Agenda item

Report of the Interim Director of Planning and Performance

To consider the following two Petitions:

E-petition 26/24-25 – Save Holbrook Library

To consider the above petition bearing 402 signatures (73 e-petition signatures and 329 paper signatures). The petition has been sponsored by Councillor R Lancaster, a Holbrook Ward Councillor, who has been invited to the meeting for the consideration of this item along with the Petition Organiser.

E-petition 37/24-25 – Save Libraries From Being Moved

To consider the above petitions bearing a total of 191 signatures. The petition has been sponsored by Councillor G Lewis, a Westwood Ward Councillor, who has been invited to the meeting for the consideration of this item along with the Petition Organiser.

The Cabinet Member for Education and Skill considered a report of the Interim Director of Planning and Performance, which responded to two petitions objecting to proposals to move a number of libraries as set out within the One Coventry Services’ Proposals.

One Coventry Services is an operational change programme within the Transformation Plan 2024/25. The programme aimed to deliver services differently by bringing them together in communities and builds on current approaches within family hubs, libraries and adult social care settings. The proposals set out within the Transformation Plan aimed to enable increased integration of a wider range of services and deliver financial efficiencies through reducing the number of service delivery locations and thereby the costs of operating these services in terms of both property and staffing.

A public consultation took place on a series of proposals between 9^th September 2024 and 4^th November 2024. These proposals were consulted on at an early stage of development to enable any subsequent decision to be informed by consultation feedback and to confirm the viability of delivery.

Two petitions objecting to specific proposals to move a number of libraries were received.  The first petition, bearing 73 signatures, objected to the move of the Holbrooks Library from Holbrooks Community Care Association (HCCA) building on Holbrook Lane to the Dementia Partnership Hub at Everdon Road.  The petition was sponsored by Councillor R Lancaster, a Holbrook Ward Councillor, who attended the meeting in support of the petition.  The second petition, bearing 191 signatures, objected to the move of the Bell Green Library from Riley Square to Park Edge Family Hub at Roseberry Avenue; Coundon Library from Moseley Avenue to Coundon Family Centre at 82 Moseley Avenue; and Canley Library from Prior Deram Walk to the Xcel Leisure Centre at Mitchell Avenue.  The petition was sponsored by Councillor G Lewis, a Westwood Ward Councillor, who attended the meeting in support of the petition.  The full wording of both petitions was included within the report submitted.

Councillor R Lancaster and the Petition Organiser spoke in support of the first petition, highlighting the following points:

·  The HCCA manage the whole building, including the library, at a minimal cost of £15k to the Council.

·  Time should have been taken to visit the site to see how the library and HCCA currently operate.

·  The Dementia Partnership Hub do not want the library on their site.

·  The footfall at the proposed site would be different.

·  Concerns regarding access to the library if an attendee of the Dementia Partnership Hub has difficulties and being advised to go to a different library in such circumstances.

·  There are a wealth of activities taking place at the HCCA, some which operate as a direct consequence of the Library being on site and that these would potentially be lost with the proposed move.

·  The Holbrooks Library has already been moved twice as it was originally located in Briscoe Road, was then moved to the Arena Park and finally to its current location at HCCA.

·  The Dementia Partnership Hub has been told if the Library is not located there, there will be no Library in the Holbrooks area.

·  It would cost more to have the library relocated than it costs at the current location.

·  There are 6 members of the HCCA Management Committee, including a former councillor and Honorary Alderman.

·  There has been no contact with the Management Committee, they had no prior knowledge of the proposals and the response submitted as part of the consultation has not been responded to.

·  The HCCA have worked with the Council in respect of the Library being located within their building.

·  For every £1 the centre receives, it raises a minimum of £12 to the local area. 

·  The HCCA mimics library services such as child reading groups, at no additional cost to the Council.

·  The HCCA is well respected and valued within the local area.

·  The HCCA have just received a £50k grant from the West Midlands Combined Authority.

·  It makes sense to leave the Library within the HCCA, where it forms the foundation and base for everything else on offer.

Councillor G Lewis and the Petition Organiser spoke in support of the second petition, highlighting the following points:

·  Petition Spokesperson is one of the founding members and campaigner for ‘Save Coventry Libraries’ which was founded in 2017. 

·  Libraries offer so much more than books, including a wealth of support, services and groups to the local communities.

·  Everything is available online, but if you are unable to afford a computer, you can go to the Library.

·  Libraries are safe spaces where you are able to learn to read and write.

·  Visits were made to all 4 of the affected Libraries.

·  It would be more effective to improve the buildings where existing Libraries are located than to move them.

·  There are concerns about the loss of staff, access to computers and the services that Libraries are currently able to provide.

·  Coundon Library is very busy and there are concerns about the loss of services, books and staff.

·  Bell Green is one of the ‘core Libraries’. When establishing the core libraries, there was a life-time guarantee that the Libraries would remain in their existing buildings and be fully staffed by professionals.

·  Bell Green Library is currently located in Riley Square and it is always busy.  It is unlikely that people will want to go to the proposed new location.

·  Canley Library is very busy and is currently used by vulnerable children as their safe space.

·  If the Canley Library is moved, users would be subjected to organised crime. 

·  There is a requirement to keep children safe.

·  The Library must be kept in the current location.

·  Canley is a particularly deprived area and consideration must be given to social value.

·  There is likely to be a loss of footfall, services, computers and services for all if the Canley Library is moved.

·  Relocation to the Xcel Leisure Centre raises accessibility concerns.

·  Moving the Holbrooks Library to the Dementia Partnership Hub causes significant safeguarding concerns.

·  The HCCA runs so many things and saves the Council significant amounts of money by hosting the Library.

·  The Holbrooks Library already provides exactly what the proposals say is needed.

A question was also raised about how many consultation responses had been received in relation to the proposals within One Coventry Services.

Officers responded to confirm that there will be a report submitted to a meeting of the Cabinet in respect of the proposals and this will include a very detailed appendix setting out all of the responses received.  It was also confirmed that there had been a lot of discussion regarding the impact of the proposals, including detailed work in respect of walking distances to the proposed locations.  The Cabinet Member was further advised that, following the consultation, the Equality Impact Assessments would be updated to reflect the issues raised.

RESOLVED that, the Cabinet Member for Education and Skills:

1.  Noted the petitions received and considered the comments and issues raised at the meeting.

2.  Agreed that the petitions and issues raised at the meeting be considered as part of the consultation process for One Coventry Services’ proposals 2024/25.