Proposals for libraries and community centres

Find out how Leicester City Council’s Neighbourhood Services Team are consulting with residents on what you need from Leicester’s community centres and libraries.

Leicester’s multi-service centres, community centres, and libraries play an important role in our local neighbourhoods.

They promote health and wellbeing, bring communities together and provide places for people to meet.

They help residents with books and reading and with study and learning. They support people to access information and digital services and provide cultural events and creative activities for children and adults.

However, we know from your feedback that the way people use our multi-service centres, community centres, and libraries is changing. We also know that many people don’t currently visit any of our multi-service centres, community centres and libraries, or are unaware of the services that they offer.

Rising costs and cuts to government funding also mean that Leicester City Council must invest carefully in services to get the best value for money for residents.

That’s why we need to ensure the services provided are modern, efficient and fit for purpose for years to come.

Consultation on proposals for libraries and community centres

Leicester City Council Neighbourhood Services have arranged a consultation to gather  views on a set of proposals for libraries and community centres in Leicester.  

Online survey

You can take part in the consultation by completing the online survey until Sunday 29 June.

Drop-in sessions

We will be running five drop-in sessions where you can talk to an officer about the consultation and take the survey. These are at:

Open meetings

We are also holding a number of open meetings, details of which are below. If you would like to attend please email neighbourhoodservices@leicester.gov.uk with your preferred meeting:

If you have any questions, please email neighbourhoodservices@leicester.gov.uk

Previous public engagement

We undertook a public engagement exercise in the second half of 2023. From July to September 2023 we ran a survey and talked to focus groups to find out what your priorities for our multi-service centres, community centres and libraries might be in the future, whether you currently visited them or not. We received 2,340 responses to the survey along with 511 responses to our young people’s survey. In addition, over 80 people attended 12 focus groups to give us feedback.

We looked at every response and input from the focus groups and the surveys and produced two reports, which are attached below. The public engagement report was produced by our research consultants, Activist, and focused on the responses from our survey and focus groups. Leicester City Council’s Neighbourhood Services team produced a secondary research report which focused on service performance.

Proposals for Leicester city libraries and community centres Overview

The local authority has a statutory duty under the Public Libraries and Museum Act 1964 “to provide a comprehensive and efficient library service for all persons” who want to make use of it. Due to a decade and a half of central government cuts in funding we are not able to maintain the current provision for libraries and community centres, and the budget is proposed to reduce over the next three years by up to £2.1million. A new service model is proposed for libraries and community centres which would operate from 12 multiservice centres and the Central Library. The aim is to provide a service targeted at areas of greater need across the whole city within available resources. The council would no longer run 12 centres including 4 libraries. Community groups would be invited to run these where appropriate. In addition the proposal includes reducing opening hours across the remaining 13 centres, reducing staff numbers and lowering how much we spend on books, IT and operating costs. There would be a renewed focus providing interventions, resources and activities around reading, digital and information support, cultural and creative activities and health and wellbeing initiatives. Online services including e-books, e-newspapers and e-magazines will continue to be provided. The Children’s BookBus will provide regular services in some of the most disadvantaged areas of the city and a volunteersupported Home Library Service will deliver books to housebound residents. Proposals for libraries and community centres Multi-service centres would operate as hubs to support wellbeing by integrating a range of services provided by the council and its partners. The Central Library service would continue to deliver a broader offer, serving residents living in all areas. A reduction in staffed opening hours at retained sites would enable the widest network of facilities to be sustained. 8am to 8pm opening would be supported by the introduction of library self-access systems to extend opening hours at six libraries. Staffed opening hours would be standardised across the network depending on busyness. Central Library Providing a city-wide service and open 45 hours per week Band 1 multi-service centres: staffed opening for 40 hours per week: • Beaumont Leys Library Hub • Belgrave Library Hub (with additional Self-Access hours) • The BRITE Centre Hub (with additional Self-Access hours) • Highfields Library Hub • St Barnabas Library Hub (with additional Self-Access hours) Band 2 multi-service centres: staffed opening for 30 hours per week • Aylestone Library (located in Aylestone Leisure Centre) • Hamilton Library Hub (with additional Self-Access hours) • New Parks Centre Hub (with additional Self-Access hours) • Pork Pie Library Hub (with additional Self-Access hours) • St Matthews Library (relocated nearby) • Thurnby Lodge Centre Hub (with new self-service library)

Proposed opening hours

Click on the link above to find the table with names of libraries and proposed new opening hours and the number of staff cuts.

Libraries listed are:  Aylestone Library, Beaumont Leys Library, Belgrave Library, BRITE Centre, Central Library, Hamilton Library, Highfields Library, New Parks Library,  Port Pie Library, St. Barnabas Library,  St. Matthews, Thurnby Lodge Community Centre, Westotes Library.  

Equality Assessment (For full document click on link above)

Like many local authorities Leicester City Council are facing a challenging financial situation so it is vital that we ensure the service we provide meets the needs of our users. We will need to ensure resources are used efficiently whilst protecting a service which is highly valued and widely used across the city.

Leicester City Council manages 25 community facilities across the city including 9 multi service centres and the Central Library. Within these facilities the Council runs 16 libraries and 13 community centres, with many services co-located. At these sites people can access books and reading, use the internet and find information, attend a group, take part in an event and much more. Neighbourhood Services facilities are
located in the heart of local communities.

The primary research for this programme has been conducted by Activist, an independent, sector specialist research and engagement agency.

As part of the primary research Leicester City Council ran a public engagement from 3rd July 2023 to 24th September 2023 to identify which services people use now, what their priorities are for the future, and their thoughts on alternative models. Members of the public, stakeholders and staff members were asked for their views. A detailed questionnaire was available to complete online and on paper over a three month period from June – August 2023. A survey aimed at children and young people was also made available online in September 2023.

In total 2851 responses were received. To gain further insight and depth 12 public focus groups were held in neighbourhood locations around the city. Interviews were held with key internal & external stakeholders and two staff workshops were undertaken. Leicester City Council’s Neighbourhood Services management and project team has produced a secondary research report which summarises service data, benchmarking information and ward profiles to provide details of local communities and their needs. Separate reports for both the primary and secondary research findings are available and form the evidence basis for this EIA.

Proposals for service transformation have been developed to deliver services in areas and communities where need is great and within the reduced budgetary envelope available for the future. The Neighbourhood & Environmental Services division will see a significantly reduced budget over the next 3 financial years. The proposals aim to develop widely accessible multi-service hubs whilst reducing the overall number of
facilities we operate and focusing service provision in areas of need whilst retaining good geographical coverage of the city.

The recommended model for Neighbourhood Services is to develop community based multi-service centres with a focus on services to support wellbeing. The multi-service centres are located in areas of need and in buildings which are fit for the future with good accessibility and surrounding transport networks to cover broad catchment areas. The Central Library service will provide city-wide coverage with added breadth and depth serving residents living in all areas. Under the proposals there will be a renewed focus on four nationally recognised “Universal Offers” and the “Children’s Promise” developed by Libraries Connected, providing interventions, resources and activities around reading, digital and information, culture, creativity and health, and health and wellbeing. Online services including extensive e-libraries would continue to provide e-books, newspapers and magazines to library members from anywhere in the city, at any time. The Children’s BookBus would provide regular services in the most disadvantaged areas of the city and a volunteer supported Home Library Service would deliver books to housebound residents. Under the proposals community organisations would be supported to develop plans to take on the running of
facilities no longer required by the service to deliver additional community benefits.

The following multi-service centres would be developed under the proposals, to provide neighbourhood services located in accessible areas of need across the city, supported by the city-wide in-depth provision at the Central Library:
• Leicester Central Library – 45 staffed hours per week
• Aylestone Library (located in Aylestone Leisure Centre) – 30 staffed hours per week & self-access hours during leisure centre opening times
• Beaumont Leys Library Hub – 40 staffed hours per week
• Belgrave Library Hub – 40 staffed hours per week & Install library self-access to increase overall opening hours
• The BRITE Centre Hub – 40 staffed hours per week & Install library self-access to increase overall opening hours
• Hamilton Library & Community Centre Hub – 30 staffed hours per week & Install library self-access to increase overall opening hours
• Highfields Library Hub – 40 staffed hours per week
• New Parks Centre Hub – 30 staffed hours per week & Install library self-access to increase overall opening hours
• Pork Pie Library & Community Centre Hub – 30 staffed hours per week & Install library self-access to increase overall opening hours
• St Barnabas Library Hub – 40 staffed hours per week & Install library self-access to increase overall opening hours
• St Matthews Library (relocated within the St Matthews Estate)
• Thurnby Lodge Community Centre – 30 staffed hours per week
• Westcotes Library – 30 staffed hours per week

The following facilities would be released and where appropriate opportunities provided for community organisations to take on the running
of services:
• Belgrave Neighbourhood Centre
• Braunstone Frith Recreation Centre
• Coleman Neighbourhood Centre
• Eyres Monsell Community Centre
• Evington Library
• Gilmorton Community Rooms
• Knighton Library
• Netherhall Neighbourhood Centre
• Rushey Mead Library
• Rushey Mead Recreation Centre
• Tudor Centre

The St Matthews Centre would be closed and the library will be re-located within the estate.

Fosse Neighbourhood Centre would not be put forward for Community Asset Transfer and other disposal options will be explored.

Evington Library is being put forward with other libraries, for a Community Asset Transfer process.

For charts and maps click on Link above.

Other reports are:  Public Engagement Report focusing on the earlier responses for the LCC survey and focus groups,  and Secondary Research Report.  This report focusses on service performance  Click on the link above to read these reports.