Burnham Parish Council has reacted with great disappointment to the decision by Buckinghamshire Council to significantly reduce the opening hours at Burnham Library by eleven hours per week.
The decision came despite increases to opening hours at several other libraries throughout the county under the ‘library flex’ programme.
The council has written to Buckinghamshire Council to express its strong objection and deep disappointment at the severe cuts.
Chair of the Council, Cllr Marie Hammon, said:
“We, along with the Friends of the Library, submitted a strong response to the consultation, although at the time it felt that this proposal was already very much a ‘done deal’. We are also very disappointed at how little time was apparently given by Buckinghamshire Council to discussing the impact on Burnham Library, especially given how quick they were to trumpet increased opening hours at other libraries. This adds to the impression that Burnham is the ‘forgotten part’ of the county.”
The Council has further pointed out that Burnham library services a wide hinterland of communities outside the village itself, and enjoys a very strong and active ‘Friends of the Library’ organisation who support and raise funds for the library.
Cllr Hammon added “We’re particularly disappointed that many of the hours being cut are at the few times when the library can be accessed by adults who work full time – such as Tuesday evenings and Saturday afternoons.”
The Council is now seeking an urgent review of the decision, and a firm guarantee from Buckinghamshire Council that there will be no further cuts to Burnham Library’s opening hours for at least the next five years, to give the community reassurance that this is not the first step in a programme of gradually running down the library. The Council will also be working with the Friends of Burnham Library, and Buckinghamshire Council library officers, to try to find options for increased volunteer opening at the library.
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