People Overview & Scrutiny
Subject: Libraries
Date of meeting: 18th March 2025
Report of: Chair of People Overview & Scrutiny
Contact Officer: Name: Luke Proudfoot
Email: luke.proudfoot@brighton-hove.gov.uk
Ward(s) affected: (All Wards);
Key Decision: No
1.1 This report provides an update to the People Overview & Scrutiny Committee on the future of the city’s library services, including co-location of council services, and to make savings by reducing some library opening hours and the closure of up to three community libraries.
2.1 People Overview & Scrutiny notes the report.
3.1 Co-location of services is key to securing the sustainability of library services for the future, embedding libraries with other community resources, working as One Council to deliver accessible services to residents in the community.
3.2 Brighton & Hove City Council is incorporating face to face customer service help desks into Jubilee and Hove Libraries of libraries to improve access to council services across the city.
3.3 From an estimated date of 6 May the Customer Service Centres at Hove Town Hall and Barts will close and Council Help Desks will open in Hove and Jubilee Libraries, staffed Monday to Friday, 10am to 5pm. Self-service customer computers and phone lines will be available in all 13 public libraries. Library staff have started their training and Customer Service Advisors will be working in the libraries in May to support the transition.
3.4 Skills and Employability services will be co-located in Jubilee Library from September 2025, with classes and Skills Boot Camp offered in library conference rooms. This will provide sustainable income for the library service and offer an enhancement to both services through links to library resources and the Business Centre.
3.5 7 community libraries are already co-located with other services, including Saltdean Lido, Whitehawk Hub, Westdene School and Hollingbury Old Boat Community Centre. The new Moulsecoomb Hub will include a brand new library on site.
3.6 The recently adopted 2025-26 budget includes proposals to achieve savings of £250k across 2025-27 through a reduction in opening hours at Jubilee and Hove Libraries and the proposed closure of up to 3 community libraries.
3.7 The proposed libraries affected are part of the council’s statutory library provision and the council must be satisfied that it continues to meet its statutory duty to provide a comprehensive service to the city. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport require a full needs and use analysis, public consultation and equality impact assessment to be completed before changes can be made to the statutory library provision.
3.8 Under the proposals, at least 10 libraries across the city would be retained, maintaining a geographic spread. Jubilee and Hove Libraries will maintain services 7 days/week, including some late openings and weekends.
3.9 A range of mitigations have been identified to offset the impact of reductions in public library services. These include but are not limited to:
9.1. Libraries Extra enables customers to access libraries when they are unstaffed, contributing to the accessibility of services in the city.
9.2. A full range of online services, with free access to e-books and e-audio, are available 24/7.
9.3. The Home Delivery Service delivers library resources direct to the homes of those who cannot come to a library due to disability or caring responsibilities.
4.1 None specifically for this report.
5.1 None specifically for this scrutiny report. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport requires a public consultation period, to engage with residents, users and non-users, for any proposals to reduce library services. It is proposed the opening hour changes and libraries closures are included in one public consultation which will run for 12 weeks in the spring/summer of 2025. This is likely to be a survey on Your Voice (the council’s on-line consultation platform) and more specific engagement with partners and stakeholders for each of the libraries affected. Around 60 libraries staff affected by changes to the service will be consulted after the public consultation.
6.1 The financial implications relating these proposals are summarised in the body of this report (paragraph 3.6) and are set out in more detail in the 2025/26 budget report presented to full Council on 27 February 2025.
Name of finance officer consulted: Steve Williams Date consulted: 07/03/25
7.1 Public libraries are a statutory service under the Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964 (“the Act”). Section 7 of the Act requires library authorities to provide a “comprehensive and efficient service” for people who live, work or study within the authority area. In taking decision on the provision of the Library Services in the city, Cabinet will need to be satisfied that the proposed provision is comprehensive and efficient in accordance with its duties under the Act. The duty under Section 7 requires the Council to undertake an assessment of the local needs for library services in the city. In addition, the Council has a duty to consult with residents, communities and other stakeholders that are likely to be affected by the proposals for the provision of library services in the city. As outlined in the body of the report, an equality impact assessment of the proposals, in particular relating to the libraries closures and the measures to be taken to mitigate the impact on groups with protected characteristic will need to be conducted. The provision of the needs assessment, results of the consultation and the equality impact assessment will serve to inform the Cabinet’s decision on whether the proposed provision is comprehensive and efficient in accordance with its duties under the Act.
Name of lawyer consulted: Siobhan Fry Date consulted: 10/03/25
8.1 None specifically for this report. However, recent budget papers on proposed changes to the library opening hours indicated possible impacts on those under 16, those with disabilities, those from black and racially minoritised communities, women, carers, those experiencing homelessness, and those experiencing socio-economic disadvantage.
9.1 None for this scrutiny report.
10. Health and Wellbeing Implications:
10.1 None for this scrutiny report.
11.1 The report and cabinet member presentation outline proposed changes to the city’s library services. Members can ask questions of the cabinet member and are asked to note the report.
Supporting Documentation
1. Cabinet member presentation