Heavy cuts planned across Bexley Council libraries

Bexley Council are proposing a number of cuts across their library service in a meeting tonight.

Staff will be cut, with 28 out of 68 posts being lost. The cuts would see the main library in Bexleyheath close on Sundays alongside evening closure throughout the week and self service only in the mornings.

The list of cuts include:

• self service in the mornings and a staffed service in the
  afternoons;
• each core library to close a day a week
• no evening opening;
• no Sunday opening at Central library
• limited events and activity programmes

The Council states the cuts will save £570,000 from 2022/23. That excludes staff redundancy costs.

The proposal would also reduce or cease the funding for six community managed libraries. This could “save up to £200k”.

Community management deals end in March 2021 for Bexley Village, Bostall, Blackfen, Northumberland Heath and Upper Belvedere libraries and in December 2021 for Slade Green.

Despite these cuts the authority have announced intentions to open two libraries. One is a flagship site at a new development in Thamesmead and another alongside a cinema in Sidcup which is due to commence building work in January. What will happen to these libraries is unknown.

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