Libraries boss 'incredibly shocked, disappointed and frustrated' over Suffolk County Council decision to take control of service

A council's decision to take control of Suffolk's libraries has left the service's boss 'incredibly shocked, disappointed and frustrated'.

Yesterday afternoon, Suffolk County Council announced its intention to take control of the library service for the first time since 2012, when it was surrendered to the Suffolk Libraries charity due to austerity cuts.

Bruce Leeke, CEO of Suffolk Libraries, said: "We are incredibly shocked, disappointed and frustrated by this afternoon’s announcement by Suffolk County Council.

"It’s a bolt from the blue and, in our opinion, it’s a staggeringly short-sighted decision."

Procurement for the contract, for six years with the possibility to extend it a further six at a total price tag of £80 million, started last year.

However, it was abandoned after the bidder changed their bid during the process, leading the council to attempt to agree to negotiate a direct award with Suffolk Libraries before talks broke down.

According to the council, negotiations for a shorter contract failed because the charity was unwilling to agree to the authority's terms and proposed others which were either unacceptable or unlawful.

Mr Leeke, who was only given a 15-minute notice before the announcements were made public, said the charity had done an amazing job under challenging circumstances and intended to fight the decision.

He said: "We have successfully steered the charity to become a recognised pioneer for change within the library sector and we are now regarded as a leading force within the industry.

"We currently have one of the best-run library services in the country which has saved millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money, increased the impact and value of libraries and ultimately made Suffolk a better place to live by offering residents access to a groundbreaking and diverse range of services and support."

The council said the charity's proposal would have seen a reduction in opening hours by 30 per cent and raised concern about its viability with its head office, including senior managers, costing a third of their annual bill.

SCC said it would protect the service's 364 frontline roles but said it was a 'fair assumption' there would be job losses among the remaining 56 positions, although a specific number was not revealed.

Mr Leeke disputed that the decision would save money — he said: “Suffolk County Council’s decision will impact everyone in the county and indeed will send out worrying signals to the nation with regard to the future of libraries within the community.

"Even if you don’t use libraries, we believe the proposed change will be a very inefficient and costly process and the cost to the people of Suffolk is even higher."

Despite the announcement, a decision is still down to cabinet members, who will discuss it during their March 18 meeting alongside an extra £375,000 investment into replacing ageing mobile libraries, new bucks, and public computers.