The Chartered Institute of Library and Data Professionals (CILIP), a nationwide charity which exists to boost requirements in library provision has sounded the alarm over a possible ‘hearth sale’ of library buildings following the Authorities announcement of ‘distinctive monetary help’ to 19 Councils[1].
The Division for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities has introduced that 19 councils in England will profit from an ‘Distinctive Monetary Assist (EFS)’ framework for the fiscal 12 months 2024-25, totalling round £1.5 billion.
Fairly than representing new funding or capital help, the framework permits the Councils concerned to make use of capital receipts from the sale of property or borrowing to cowl their day-to-day prices as much as this quantity. Moreover, there’s additional help for capitalisation requests from earlier years amounting to £976 million.
Commenting on the announcement, CILIP interim CEO Jo Cornish mentioned,
This ‘distinctive monetary help’ introduced by Authorities is in actuality nothing of the kind. As an alternative, central Authorities is suggesting that cash-strapped Councils ought to do the equal of utilizing their financial savings (long-term funding budgets) and promoting property to cowl day-to-day operating prices.
This framework creates a cloth threat that Councils will unload components of their property portfolio, together with libraries, to deal with the funding shortfall brought on by the withdrawal of central Authorities grants. We all know from our expertise supporting library companies throughout the UK, this can be a one-way journey – as soon as a library constructing is offered off, it completely impairs the life possibilities and property values of native residents. It’s a one-way deal and really very like utilizing the bank card to pay the mortgage.
We urgently name on central Authorities to work with Councils to offer long-term sustainable funding to guard native companies and halt their decline, together with statutory public library provision.
In response to growing issues over proposals to cut back or shut library companies, CILIP has launched the ‘Libraries at Danger Monitor’ – a regularly-updated map of proposed modifications to libraries throughout the UK with a sign of the place CILIP and their companion organisation, CILIP in Scotland are intervening to hunt higher outcomes for native taxpayers (www.cilip.org.uk/libraries-at-risk).
[1] https://www.gov.uk/steerage/exceptional-financial-support-for-local-authorities-for-2024-25
