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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
National
Grace Howarth

Haringey Council slashing opening days for libraries in latest bid to cut costs

Hornsey Library in Haringey borough - (LDRS)

Haringey Council has agreed to reduce the opening hours for its libraries in a bid to save money – while keeping facilities open.

After a public consultation this autumn in which two options for revised opening hours to Haringey’s nine libraries were presented, the council has instead agreed an alternative third option which it says “mitigates the impact of reducing library hours specifically including the impact on those with protected characteristics”.

The council’s aim is to save £675,000 as part of the cuts it needs to make for the 2025/26 budget. The new libraries operating model will commence from May, subject to a consultation with affected staff.

The decision to go with an alternative third option from the changes proposed earlier this year was discussed during a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, with Emily Arkell, cabinet member for culture and leisure, expanding on the choice made to go with a revised version of the second option previously drawn up.

Ajda Ovat, cabinet member for communities, asked what the council had done to “consider the issues” identified in the council’s equalities impact assessment (EQIA) and whether it would ensure there would be no “discrimination or adverse impact”.

Cllr Arkell said the council had acknowledged the different “needs” of residents in the west of the borough versus the east, which is more deprived, and how the impact on the most “vulnerable” residents would be “minimised”.

She said: “The EQIA did find a number of issues which specifically affected young people, people with a disability, and residents who are from a black or minority ethnic group.

“In the proposal that I am presenting, option three, there are a number of mitigations to minimise and reduce the impact of reducing the library hours on each of the groups.

“These include evening opening hours in each of the main libraries [Wood Green, Marcus Garvey, Hornsey] for one evening per week, consistency in starting and closing times, and maintaining lunch time hours as well.”

One of the key changes under the new option is both Hornsey and Marcus Garvey libraries being open on Sundays. Neither option one or two had all three of the main libraries open that day, with option two proposing all three were closed, and option one keeping just Wood Green open.

Wood Green will remain closed on Sunday under option three but will open all six other days.

Of the nine libraries, Alexandra Park and Stroud Green and Harringay are among the most affected. The two libraries currently open six days a week but will now only open for four.

Councillor Seema Chandwani asked how the council would “make sure” residents using libraries to stay warm and socialise were not “adversely affected”.

Cllr Arkell said there was an initiative called the Haringey Warm Welcome that was being established this year to “provide warm spaces” for residents. Libraries, community spaces and places of worship “formed part of that network”.

“These places provide a warm space, a safe place for residents to go, a place for social connection, provided refreshments, and activities residents could take part in,” she said.

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