There are a large number of libraries in Cambridgeshire, but they are spread unequally throughout the county - with far too many in the south and not enough in the north. Cambridgeshire as a whole has a very low level of funding - we receive less per head of population than any other shire authority in the country. Even with the settlement we have had from government it will still be well below the average. If and when we receive the additional £10m which the government has held back we will remain the eighth lowest funded authority out of a total of 34 shire or county authorities. We have reached a stage where the library budget is no longer sufficient to run the service - there is a deficit of £300,000 annually. Consultants have concluded that the county has too many libraries and that resources, particularly the bookfund were spread too thinly. The Audit Commission, in a separate report, concluded the current shape and pattern of the service cannot be supported and that we cannot meet the national Public Library Standards. The government requires us to meet those standards. That is the background and during the autumn we have been developing proposals to rationalise the service.

It is true that the library was replaced not that long ago, but this was prior to the reports I have referred to and in any case, the old building had been condemned as unsafe. It is unfortunate that the new building did not bring in new users; there are less than 400 regular users of the library, which is just 15% of the numbers living in the parish. In the last ten years the number of people living in Swavesey has increased by nearly a third (and Over, which has no library and for whom Swavesey might be seen as the nearest alternative, has seen similar growth), yet the number of users of the library has dropped by around a half. The reprieve from closure in 1996 was accompanied by a plea to use the library or lose it - unfortunately that plea was
not taken up. The costs of opening the library at Swavesey are far higher than the average for a small community library. Closing Swavesey library would enable the assets to be re-deployed, even the mobile unit itself.

I have already been in preliminary discussion with officers about a replacement service - one which would meet the needs of the users, including the elderly and children. Officers are also in discussion with the schools library service about how to ensure that children can still access library services. There are also other library services which can be provided, including to those that are housebound or in sheltered housing. As a library user if you know of specific times which would be good for a mobile to visit - or times when it should not - then please let me know so that it can be included in the consultations which are going on with the parish. We are also considering something called a book café, which has operated successfully in Little Downham since their library closed in 1996; this requires someone with some space - perhaps in a shop, pub or other business, who would be willing to give up a small amount of space for some books and be prepared to run a loan service. Although the number of books in stock would be much less a group of book café's would allow the stock to be moved around on a much more frequent basis and since the government does not define them as libraries they do not have to meet library standards. A plea I have often heard in the last few weeks is that we would rather have a library that did not meet standards, than no library at all.

I can appreciate that this is causing concern in Swavesey. As a county councillor I have a duty to represent my constituents, but as a member of the cabinet at the county council I also have to take decisions which will be in the best interests of the county overall and there are occasions, thankfully rare, when these two duties come into conflict. I regret that this is one of those occasions. I will be fighting to get the best alternative library provision that I can for Swavesey, but given the facts I cannot oppose the closure of the library.

I am always available for consultation, either in person or by phone, letter or e-mail. I can be reached at the address or telephone number below.
Shona Johnstone
Highfield
5 Lowburyholme Road
Over
CB4 5NP
Tel: 01954 230565
e-mail: shona.johnstone@cambridgeshire.gov.uk