Agenda item

Associate Libraries

14.1

It was formally moved by Councillor Vickie Priestley, and formally seconded by Councillor Richard Shaw, that this Council:-

(a)       thanks all the hard-working volunteers at all of the city’s Associate Libraries whose invaluable contribution has meant that many of our community libraries have remained open despite the Administration’s choice to cut their funding;

(b)       welcomes the latest report brought to the Safer and Stronger Communities Scrutiny and Policy Development Committee which recommends that Associate Library groups should be guaranteed the current level of funding for another 3 years;

(c)        however, believes that this is the bare minimum that treasured volunteer-run community libraries need to survive and that maintaining the current level of service through the next 3 years remains a challenge;

(d)       recalls the last two budget amendments of the main opposition group, whichidentified sensible savings which, if implemented, would mean some of the reductions in funding to the libraries service could be restored and this could be used to employ professional librarians to support volunteers; and

(e)       recommends to the Cabinet Member for Community Services and Libraries that additional funding is given to Associate Libraries.

14.2

Whereupon, it was formally moved by Councillor Jack Scott, and formally seconded by Councillor Karen McGowan, as an amendment, that the Motion now submitted be amended by the deletion of all the words after the words “That this Council” and the addition of the following words:-

(a)       praises the fantastic work of volunteers at Associate Libraries across the city and library staff who make a vital contribution to the service;

(b)       notes that due to the unprecedented level of cuts to local government funding, hundreds of libraries across the country have closed, and welcomes the fact that work between the Council, voluntary groups and other partners has kept all Sheffield libraries open;

(c)        is appalled at the continued hypocrisy of the main opposition group who supported the Coalition Government’s drastic cuts to the Council’s funding but campaigned against their impact locally, and believes that, if the Coalition Government had not focused funding cuts so heavily on Sheffield at the same time as giving some of the wealthiest areas in the country just a fraction of the cuts, services across the Council, including libraries, would have received less cuts;

(d)       notes the following comments made by the Council’s politically independent Chief Executive and Section 151 officer about the main opposition group’s budget proposal for 2016/17, that it was “not a sustainable strategy, as it simply defers identifying spending reductions for one year”;

(e)       therefore regrets that the main opposition group’s budget would have put further pressures on the Council’s budget this year and, if the Council had listened to the advice of the main opposition group, the library service could have been put at further risk; and

(f)        believes it is important to protect the support given to Associate Libraries going forward and welcomes the commitment of the present Administration to extend the funding and support given to Associate Libraries for a further 3 years.

14.3

On being put to the vote, the amendment was carried.

14.3.1

(NOTE: Councillors Magid Magid, Douglas Johnson, Robert Murphy and Alison Teal voted for paragraphs (a), (b) and (d) to (f), and abstained from voting on paragraph (c) of the amendment, and asked for this to be recorded.)

14.4

The original Motion, as amended, was then put as a Substantive Motion in the following form and carried:-

RESOLVED: That this Council:-

(a)       praises the fantastic work of volunteers at Associate Libraries across the city and library staff who make a vital contribution to the service;

(b)       notes that due to the unprecedented level of cuts to local government funding, hundreds of libraries across the country have closed, and welcomes the fact that work between the Council, voluntary groups and other partners has kept all Sheffield libraries open;

(c)        is appalled at the continued hypocrisy of the main opposition group who supported the Coalition Government’s drastic cuts to the Council’s funding but campaigned against their impact locally, and believes that, if the Coalition Government had not focused funding cuts so heavily on Sheffield at the same time as giving some of the wealthiest areas in the country just a fraction of the cuts, services across the Council, including libraries, would have received less cuts;

(d)       notes the following comments made by the Council’s politically independent Chief Executive and Section 151 officer about the main opposition group’s budget proposal for 2016/17, that it was “not a sustainable strategy, as it simply defers identifying spending reductions for one year”;

(e)       therefore regrets that the main opposition group’s budget would have put further pressures on the Council’s budget this year and, if the Council had listened to the advice of the main opposition group, the library service could have been put at further risk; and

(f)        believes it is important to protect the support given to Associate Libraries going forward and welcomes the commitment of the present Administration to extend the funding and support given to Associate Libraries for a further 3 years.

14.4.1

(NOTE: 1. Councillors Bob Pullin, Richard Shaw, Adam Hanrahan, Joe Otten, Colin Ross, Martin Smith, Roger Davison, Shaffaq Mohammed, Sue Alston, Andrew Sangar, Cliff Woodcraft, Ian Auckland, Sue Auckland, Steve Ayris, Gail Smith, David Baker, Penny Baker and Vickie Priestley voted for paragraphs (a), (b) and (f), and voted against paragraphs (c) to (e) of the Substantive Motion, and asked for this to be recorded; and

2. Councillors Magid Magid, Douglas Johnson, Robert Murphy and Alison Teal voted for paragraphs (a), (b) and (d) to (f), and abstained from voting on paragraph (c) of the Substantive Motion, and asked for this to be recorded.)