Library service to change name as controversial Suffolk County Council takeover to take place

Suffolk's library service will have its name changed as a controversial council takeover is set to take place over the weekend.

On Sunday, the county council will take over the library service for the first time since 2012, after a March decision which proved to be controversial.

The change will be accompanied by a rebranding, with the service to emerge as Suffolk Community Libraries.

Cllr Philip Faircloth-Mutton, who led the takeover, thanked the charity for its work in ensuring a smooth transition.

He said: “This move is not just about preserving the service we have; it’s about making libraries even more integral to the services we offer.

"While they already provide excellent spaces for reading and community engagement, we want to expand their role and ensure they become vital access points for a wide range of public services."

In a statement, Bruce Leeke, the CEO of Suffolk Libraries, said he was 'enormously disappointed' in losing control of the service.

He said: "Our libraries have been as much about the positive real-life stories we help people create as the ones they borrow from the shelves.

"It is our absolute hope that the library service will retain its focus on people once it’s back with the county council – a library without the people who create the impact is just a book drop."

The drama as it happened

The service has been run by Suffolk Libraries since 2012, but talks to renew the charity's contract with the authority broke down in February, leading to a combative back-and-forth between the two bodies.

Cllr Faircloth-Mutton said earlier in the year he had no confidence in the charity's ability to manage its finances after finding it was spending a third of its annual bill on head office costs.

He said Suffolk Libraries had made unacceptable proposals during contract negotiations, including cutting opening hours by an average of 30 per cent.

Meanwhile, Mr Leeke rejected the claims about wages right up to the date of the decision, calling it rushed and disappointing.

The proposals attracted strong opposition, with a petition against the takeover reaching more than 23,000 signatures and protests held outside council offices as well as some libraries across the county.

But Cllr Faircloth-Mutton defended the plans, arguing the takeover would ensure all 45 libraries would remain open and keep their opening hours.

What's changing?

The council said the service would continue to operate as normal, with no changes for library users.

It is expected to cost the council up to £1.8 million in the first year and return to budget from the second.

A £375,000 investment has been lined up alongside the council decision, replacing ageing mobile libraries, new books, and public computers.

An unknown number of jobs are also expected to be lost as part of the takeover, though the council has said it would protect all 364 frontline roles, meaning the cuts will happen across the remaining 56 positions.