Agenda, decisions and minutes

There were no apologies for absence.

To provide an opportunity for Members and Officers to declare any disclosable pecuniary and non-pecuniary interests in any item on the agenda.

There were no declarations of interest.

In accordance with Procedure Rules Nos.11 and 35 a period of 10 minutes is allocated for members of the public to address the meeting on any matter relating to the work of the body in question.  Individual members of the public may speak for up to 5 minutes but the Chairman or person presiding will decide how the period of time allocated for public speaking will be apportioned where there are a number of speakers. Members of the public are not required to give notice to use this facility. However, as a matter of courtesy, a period of 24 hours’ notice is encouraged.

Members of the public wishing to ask a question at the meeting should provide at least three clear working days’ notice in writing and should include the question with that notice. This will enable an informed answer to be given.

The Chairman of the Hurdsfield Community Group spoke in respect of the offer that had been made to assist in the creation of a new community led library, and of the interest that had been shown in its possibilities by members of the local community.

To consider the closure of these libraries.

1.    That delegated authority be given to the Customer Services and Libraries Manager to progress the proposal from the Hurdsfield Community Group, in partnership with the Peaks and Plains Housing Trust, to create a new community led library and community space for Hurdsfield; and that Hurdsfield library be withdrawn from the Council’s statutory library provision.

2.    That approval be given to the closure of Weston library.

The Portfolio Holder for Strategic Communities considered the closure of the Hurdsfield and Weston libraries as part of the Council’s major change project to develop a new model for sustainable library services and community hubs.

The report detailed the current use of the libraries, the results of a consultation exercise into how their closure would affect customers, and measures to be taken to mitigate the impact of the closures.

At the meeting it was reported that, since the agenda had been published, the Hurdsfield Community Group, in partnership with the Peaks and Plains Housing Trust, had stepped forward to offer its support for the development of a community led library; this offer was warmly welcomed and it was agreed that it be progressed further. 

The decision to be made was, therefore, amended to reflect this offer in respect of Hurdsfield library; the decision for Weston Library remained unchanged.

RESOLVED

1.    That delegated authority be given to the Customer Services and Libraries Manager to progress the proposal from the Hurdsfield Community Group, in partnership with the Peaks and Plains Housing Trust, to create a new community led library and community space for Hurdsfield; and that Hurdsfield library be withdrawn from the Council’s statutory library provision.

2.    That approval be given to the closure of Weston library.