You’ll have to pay for libraries twice

Some parish councils are proposing to increase their precepts to pay to maintain the library services that Cheshire East have responsibility for.

In a bid to reduce its £100m overspend, Cheshire East Council is reducing library opening hours, but parish and town councils, including Bollington, Alderley Edge and Poynton have offered to provide funding to keep them open.

Of course this means we could end up paying twice for everything.

All libraries are being placed into different tiers which will determine their opening hours.

Libraries in Macclesfield, Congleton, Crewe, Nantwich and Wilmslow are classed as tier one while Alsager, Holmes Chapel, Knutsford, Middlewich, Poynton and Sandbach are tier two.

Bollington, Alderley Edge, Disley and Handforth become tier three libraries, known as community libraries.

Around 3,500 people responded to a consultation on the plans, with 49% in support of the tier system and 37% against it.

Knutsford Town Council is in talks over a volunteer-led service for one day, while Macclesfield Town Council is considering putting extra funding into the library by combining the visitor information centre into the site.

Bollington Town Council is putting the most funding in as it would pay for 50% of its current opening time.

Mick Warren, the chair of Cheshire East Council’s environment and communities committee, said the council wanted to continue developing its library services

“Unprecedented financial pressures mean we must also be realistic about how these services are delivered and that the limited resources the council has are focused on the places where demand and need is greatest.”

Of course what this could means is that as long as town and parish councils are open to funding anything and everything, Cheshire East will continue to shed itself of financial liabilities. Parish and Town Councils aren’t subject to the same financial constraints so will increase their precepts to pay for anything Cheshire East says it can’t afford.

I’ve said it before, carry on like this and our council tax will just about cover the council’s wage bill and councillor’s expenses.

All the while they’ll be insisting they’re being cautious with our council tax money and raising council tax modestly, but in reality town and parish councils precepts will go through the roof and take the total payable up with them.