To receive any questions or petitions.
Notes:
1. The deadline for Member’s questions is 12.00pm four working days before the meeting (20 September 2013).
2. The deadline for public questions is seven days before the meeting (19 September 2013).
3. The deadline for petitions was 14 days before the meeting, and no petitions have been received.
Minutes:
One question had been received from a councillor and two questions from members of the public. Written responses from the Chairman were tabled at the meeting. The councillor and both members of the public were present at the meeting to ask one supplementary question.
1. Cllr Robert Evans thanked the Chairman for the response to his question. Cllr Evans then asked the following supplementary question: there are inconsistencies in the financial figures provided and some costs have not been accounted for. Is there a business plan for the total cost of this project?
The Cabinet Member for Community Services explained that the costs and savings for the project had been retained in the libraries overall budget. No savings were made in the overall library budget last year but the project has not been completed as of yet. The library services motive was to work with underperforming libraries that were at risk. Money had been saved through staff savings and the support of volunteers in respect of CPLs, and these savings had been ploughed back into the overall library service budget. The aim is to improve the sustainability of Surrey’s libraries.
2. Mr Lee Godfrey thanked the Chairman for the response to his question. Mr Godfrey then asked the following supplementary question: given that the major justification of the CLP project is cost savings, how is this committee supposed to assess the progress of the CPL project when it doesn't have a grip on the costs? I would like to know what the original budget for the project was, how the council is tracking against that budget and how this committee can ensure that taxpayers are receiving value for money from the CLP project?
The Library Operations Manager explained that the overall aim of the project was to make savings of £381,000 per annum, this would come from savings on staff costs. The money to convert the libraries into CPLs would come from these staff savings. Surrey County Council would continue to fund overhead costs such as building, books and IT. She explained that for training and governance purposes CPLs were treated as any other Surrey County Council library. The Library Operations Manager explained that the cost of the support team for the CPLs was not an additional cost as they were already library staff and support of CPLs was just one part of their role. The Library Operations Manager stated the support offered to CPL libraries is of a high quality. The Cabinet Member for Community Services explained that the Council did not wish to close their libraries as was happening in other parts of the Country and CPLs were the solution.
3. Mr Richard Wilson thanked the Chairman for the response to his question. Mr Wilson then asked the following supplementary question: Inote that after becoming Community Partnered Libraries, the six CPL’s issuing of books has declined at twice the rate of other comparable libraries. Your answer says that “low and declining use” was the reason for choosing the first 10 CPLs. Is it actually the case that 5 of the 10 had rising usage? Will Bagshot Library be the first to close? Item 9 Annex 1 on this meeting’s documents says that they have expressed concern about their capacity to undertake the task. What is the source of this statement? Isn’t it actually the case that they do have the capacity but are concerned about the draft contract and have been cut off by the lack of communication from this council and undermined by Windlesham Parish Council? How many firm commitments have Windlesham Parish Council received from volunteers? Finally, how would the members of this committee feel if Bagshot Library closes due to your policy? Will you feel it like bereavement as many local library users would? Would you resign if that were to happen? Or is that the objective of your policy?
Cllr Goodman explained that he was Chairman of Windlesham Parish Council. A meeting was held in February with the Friends of Bagshot Library but since then things have been at a standstill and Windlesham Parish Council have not received the support of Friends of Bagshot Library. Cllr Goodman explained that Windlesham Parish Council have therefore been canvassing for support from the local community and stated that they will move to a CPL in due course and make a success of it. Cllr Goodman stated that It is not about statistics but about how we engage with the local community. The Cabinet Member for Community Services stated that she understood that there were some local issues but Surrey County Council wished to move forwards and work with the community to help Bagshot library.