Langley and Cippenham libraries to avoid closure but no guarantees over future

Langley and Cippenham libraries are set to avoid closure but the council has warned ‘nothing can be off the table’ in future years.

Slough Borough Council recently held a public consultation where residents had their say on five-cost cutting measures.

These included reducing opening hours, moving library services to different locations in the borough and closing library buildings in Langley and Cippenham.

A meeting of the council’s customer and community scrutiny panel on Wednesday heard that building closures are not expected in 2022/23.

Richard West, executive director of place and community, said: “We don’t have any money as a local authority so therefore have to look at all things to try and make savings, move forward and pay our debts.

“In 2022/23, we feel we can make enough of a saving while still keeping the current buildings open.

“As an authority we’ve got to make £20million of new savings each year, after next year, so that is where the tension is.

“Nothing can be off the table again next year.

“We’ve had an award-winning library service, a platinum service, but we’re not a platinum authority now in terms of the money we’ve got.”

Councillor Harjinder Minhas (Langley St Mary’s, Labour) responded: “I totally understand there’s cuts that need to be made because the council is under pressure, not only locally but from cuts coming nationally.

“It’s very clear from reading the report the public have spoken and they want the libraries to remain.”

Liz Jones, group manager for localities and neighbourhoods at Slough Borough Council, told the meeting that the council will need to consider whether library services can be delivered from alternative locations than its four current library buildings in the future.

She added: “We are committed to looking across the borough to see what other locations there are which could help us deliver library services.”

A cabinet meeting will take place later this month where further detail will be revealed on which cost-cutting measures will be made to the council’s library services.