Santa Delivers Children's Library Letters Ahead Of Cabinet Meeting

Santa has delivered bundles of children’s letters calling on councillors to save Westdene Library from closure.

Campaigner Alicia Buckingham dropped off the letters ahead of the cabinet meeting on Thursday 11 December, where councillors are expected to agree to close the library in Bankside, along with Hollingbury Library.

At the start of the meeting the cabinet faces 12 questions from the public about the sustainability plan for libraries.

Mrs Buckingham’s submitted question asks for the evidence the proposed closure is based on.

She points outresidents’ feedback, the impact of the end of the Jubilee Libary PFI contract,

and city-wide alternatives are not included in the papers.

Councillors will also hear from Clive Bonny, who points out more than half of Brighton and Hove’s population has a higher-level qualification and ranks fifth in the UK for its educated population (after Oxford, Edinburgh, Cambridge and London).

Mr Bonny asks is a risk of students struggling to access learning materials if councillors press ahead with the plans for reduced hours at main libraries and the closure of two community libraries.

Isobel Foxton is due to ask about low visitor numbers and whether Westdene Primary School pupils who access the library through an internal door are counted in these.

She also highlights that people living in the southern part of Westdene and Hove Park ward tend to use Hove Library – but the ward is large.

For opposition councillors questions, Green councillor Sue Shanks asks why the People Overview and Scrutiny Committee recommendation to shelve the cuts is being ignored.

Conservative councillor Anne Meadows asks if Hollingbury Library, which moved to the Old Boat Corner Community Centre after the original library building closed down, was set up to fail.

The cabinet is due to meet at Hove Town Hall at 2pm on Thursday 11 December.

The meeting is scheduled to be webcast.