CONCERN was expressed for Blaenavon library this week as a plan to save the library’s only evening slot was cut back.
The Council’s reduction of opening hours at Blaenavon library this month means the library has lost its only evening slot - a time which Blaenavon Councillor Stuart Evans says is crucial for working people.
Cllr Evans said: “The evening slot was important for people that have to work and I feel a huge disappointment for the small amount of money it would have cost.
“There’s been a huge amount of money invested in what is essentially a flagship library in the borough.”
Since Blaenavon won World Heritage Status in 2000 over £800,000 has been spent on refurbishing the library which before the changes was open on a Tuesday until 7pm.
The reduced opening hours came into force on April 1 and since then the library has closed on a Tuesday at 5pm, reducing the library’s opening hours to 14 hours a week over four days.
The cuts were made in an attempt to save money from the libraries budget, and at the same time Abersychan Library was closed for good and Cwmbran Library has stopped opening on a Wednesday.
At a full council meeting Cllr Evans tried to pass a motion changing the reduced hours at the library to allow the library to open longer in the evenings.
At the meeting Cllr Evans said: “That the decision taken by Council recently to reduce the opening hours at Blaenavon Library by closing at 5pm on a Tuesday evening be changed and instead the library will not open until 10.30am rather than the original opening time of 9.30am on two other days.”
However the motion was quashed over problems with antisocial behaviour.
Executive member for regeneration, Councillor Richard Clark said: “The decision to reduce the hours at Blaenavon was taken because there were issues with antisocial behaviour when the library was open in the evenings and we have a duty to ensure that people using the library and also our staff can do so in a safe environment.
This option is also the fairest for staff. If we were to reduce hours on alternative days we would be a position where some staff were losing hours and others were not.”
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