Warwickshire County Council reverses library cuts after backlash, maintaining services and boosting public health funding.
The council expects more money from public health and business rates. They planned to close libraries on Sundays in some towns and wanted smaller libraries to be run by volunteers, which other parties opposed during budget talks. An online petition against Sunday closures gained over 800 signatures.
The council now says it will not close libraries and some public health services will continue. These services, originally slated to end as contracts expired, will be retained. This saves £414,000 per year from 2028, and plans to change library hours are also cancelled.
The council will also boost public health contracts by £900,000, focusing on new baby visits and health checks. A mental health service will continue after April 2026, with an allocation of £200,000 per year.
The council says the total extra funding remains unfinalized, with more details coming on April 10, when council leaders will confirm the budget changes. A council leader expressed happiness at avoiding the worst cuts, acknowledging the difficulty in protecting services from financial problems.
A Green Party leader is glad they saw sense on some cuts but says there are still issues needing attention. He is still concerned about cuts to children’s centers, asserting these provide important preventative services.
He thinks the real impact of cuts is not fully considered and that the debate made the impact clear to everyone. He argues Conservatives proposed these savings and must take responsibility.
He feels it’s vital to be aware of preventative work’s impact, saying libraries help families and older people. This, he argues, saves money and offers huge benefits for the council. He thinks Conservatives make this mistake often, cutting children’s centers and then wondering why kids are not ready for school.