Agenda item

Petition – “The retention of a library service and contact centre at the Carnegie Library in Jedburgh” (Copy attached).

PETITION

2.1       Petitions Procedure

            There had been circulated copies of an extract from the Audit and Scrutiny Committee Petitions procedure and the Chairman asked for this to be noted.  The Chairman welcomed to the meeting lead petitioner Dr Marianne Bampkin and also Ms Georgiana Craster.  He apologised for the confusion about the start time and thanked them for their flexibility.

2.2       Petition – Jedburgh Library and Contact Centre

            There had been circulated copies of a petition entitled “The retention of a Library Service and Contact Centre at the Carnegie Library in Jedburgh”, which had received 157 signatures and was in response to the Council’s proposal to relocate the Library Service and Contact Centre to the new Jedburgh Grammar Campus.  There had also been circulated copies of a briefing note by the Service Director Customer & Communities in response to the petition. It was stated within the petition that the people of Jedburgh wished to retain the library service and contact centre in the current building rather than re-locating to Jedburgh Grammar Campus (JGC).  The reasons given were that:

·           the proposed location was unsuitable, being hard to access for many council residents;

·           the proposed space was too small to comply with Scottish Library and Information Council’s (SLIC) public library strategy;

·           the current heritage building was given to the town as a library for every resident; and

·           left vacant, the building would become a liability.

It was suggested that the consequences of relocation would be: detrimental to the health and social welfare of residents; the economic health of the town would be impaired; Scottish Borders Council would not be delivering an excellent public service; and culture and creativity would be impaired.  The statement went on to say that each resident of Jedburgh had a right to access information and Council services but that right would be withdrawn from them if the library was removed from the town centre.  Vehicular access to the JGC was limited and pedestrian access to the steep hillside location would not be possible for older and vulnerable people.  It was suggested that the proposed space with limited access to books and computers left little opportunity for residents to increase their knowledge and improve their health, social welfare and well-being.  Footfall in both the library and the High Street would drop and ultimately the Council would incur costs spent on health and social welfare and the safety of the vacant building. 

2.3       The Chairman invited the petitioners to present the petition.  Dr Bampkin introduced herself as an expert in library and librarian information and a resident of Jedburgh. She said she was representing the views of residents of the town and surrounding villages.  She explained that although there had been a consultation on the plans to establish a campus, the proposal to move the contact centre and library services from the town centre to the campus came as a surprise to local residents.  There were three main causes for concern: the Council would be moving services that were currently central, integrated and easy to access; local shops and businesses were worried about drop in foot fall in the town centre; and Jedburgh was proud of the Carnegie building and was concerned about it going out of use.  Dr Bampkin also felt that there may be a psychological barrier for older people to go out of the town centre to a school campus where they may not feel welcome.  Ms Craster explained that there had also been on-line names and comments in support of the petition making a total of 354 signatories.  She referred to an ageing population in Jedburgh and the proximity of retirement homes to the existing library and a sentimentality about the Carnegie building.  When the Council was looking for ways to keep the High Street open she believed it was a contradiction to move these services to the campus. Ms Craster referred to a feasibility study, proposed by the Council, into finding a sustainable future for the building and asked for a delay in the move, of at least a year.  This would enable the Community Council, which was interested in the building, to come up with ideas, look for volunteers to run the library and enable an appropriate solution to be found.

2.4       In response to Members’ questions on the geographical location of the campus in relation to residential areas and the suggestion that there were more residents in the area of the proposed new location for the library than around the existing location, the petitioners accepted that the campus was nearer to houses on the east side of the Jed Water but maintained that the way the campus was laid out did not make it easy for people to walk there.  In terms of any background consultation to the petition, Dr Bampkin referred to the on-line petition and explained that she had spoken to people in villages out-with the town who had a preference for the Jedburgh library over libraries in other nearby towns.  Dr Bampkin referred again to the social aspect of the library and the concept of a safe space to which anyone could go.  There was more to a library than the physical aspects and groups of all ages often required help to work digitally. The petitioners agreed that the Contact Centre was also important, even if available just once a week for people in the town.  In answer to a question from the Service Director about the advantage of longer availability of access to these services in the new campus, Dr Bampkin was concerned that there may be times when access for adults would be restricted due to other activities and that organisation of books may lead to a dispersal of material which was beneficial to the school at the expense of the community.

2.5       In attendance to present the Council’s response to the petition were Jenni Craig, Service Director Customer & Communities and Lesley Munro, Lead Education Officer.  Also present was Jane Hogg, Director of Commercial Services, Live Borders, who was working on a future vision for libraries.   With reference to the Briefing Note which had been circulated, Mrs Craig highlighted the drivers for change behind Scottish Borders Council’s Fit for 2024 programme.  Within a five-year financial plan, the challenge was how to deliver services in a different way whilst making the best use of combined resources.  Customer demand and expectations were also changing and there were huge opportunities to grasp.  There had been significant investment in the Jedburgh Grammar Campus and this presented an opportunity to redesign services.  For instance it was expected that the demand for the Contact Centre would diminish and there would be increased demand for digital services within the library.  If it continued to operate separately, the library service in Jedburgh would be vulnerable in terms of resourcing and opening hours. In addition to longer hours, integration offered access to social interaction and complementary services from the Council and partners, for example there would be an integrated café.  Mrs Craig then summarised the response outlined in the paper to the four specific points contained within the petition statement.  With regard to the campus location, the project delivery team was specifically looking at access which included a review of transport routes and seeking opportunities to enhance provision.  The property engagement event highlighted that for some residents the new location would be easier to access.  The expansion of opening hours and further promotion of digital services would also improve accessibility. In terms of space the SLIC did not have guidance on the design of libraries.  A short video giving a virtual tour of the entrance and relevant area of the new campus was shown.  It was emphasised that the library and contact centre services would not be restricted to only the fixed areas shown on the plans but there were large, flexible areas within the campus that the community could use.  It was acknowledged that the current heritage building was important to the town but there were no restrictions on title and the property could be sold by the Council.  Through engagement with the community and via a feasibility study the Council was trying to find a sustainable future for the building.  Ms Hogg, whilst recognising the concern expressed around maintaining adult engagement in the library, highlighted opportunities presented at the new location based around the breadth of services on offer, for example around mental health and well-being.  It was stressed that the public would also have access to subject specific books and material located around school departments.

2.6       Officers answered questions from the Members and from the petitioners and Members discussed what they had heard.  With regard to mobile library services, Ms Hogg explained that digital services were being introduced into the mobile service and a review was being carried out with the aim of better utilising the vans available.  With regard to whether the current building was fit for purpose, it was pointed out that it was not fully accessible and that the new building could facilitate more in terms of the breadth of services offered from a modern and evolving library service.  Borrowing facilities would be available at all times that the new campus building was open which was potentially 7 days per week and 50 weeks of the year.  The public consultation around proposals for the JGC was referenced.  Mrs Munro explained that the vision statement included the aim of a ‘one-stop shop’ and a shared understanding to offer all Council and partner services from the same location.  However, Ms Craster emphasised that residents had not been aware that this implied closure of the Town Hall and library.  Members agreed that the consultation with the community appeared to lack clarity in some specific areas and that this was regrettable.  In terms of timescale the construction of the campus was well underway with opening scheduled for April 2020.

2.7       After further discussion Councillor Anderson, seconded by Councillor Harry Scott, proposed that the petition be referred to the Service Director Customer and Communities with the recommendation that during the months of January to March 2020 a consultation be carried out with the Jedburgh Community Council and local community to address the concerns raised.  Councillor Hamilton asked if, as an amendment, the re-location of the services could be delayed until 1 July 2020 to allow a longer period for consultation.  The Clerk to the Council advised that, due to the impact of such a delay on the budget and staffing, a proposal to delay beyond the campus opening date would require approval from full Council.  Councillor Hamilton withdrew his amendment. Councillor Sandy Scott proposed that the issues raised in the petition did not require further action but there was no seconder to this proposal.

2.8       The Chairman thanked Dr Bampkin and Ms Craster for presenting the petition and the officers for their input.

DECISION

AGREED to refer the petition to the Service Director Customer and Communities with the recommendation that, during the months of January to March 2020 and prior to the opening of the JGC, a consultation be carried out with the Jedburgh Community Council and local community to address the concerns raised.

AUDIT BUSINESS

Ms H. Barnett and Mr M. Middlemiss, the Chief Financial Officer, Chief Officer Audit & Risk and Pensions & Investment Manager joined the meeting.

             ADJOURNEMENT

          The meeting was adjourned at 12.20 pm for an informal briefing seminar on Treasury Management delivered by Richard Dunlop, prior to consideration of the Mid-Term Treasury Management Performance Report 2019/20 at Item 3 below. 

          The meeting re-convened at 1:30 pm