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Suffolk CC's cabinet is poised to approve a dramatically reconfigured plan to retain local libraries, after residents opposed moves to outsource two-thirds of the county's services. Suffolk's cabinet will meet later this month to discuss a new blueprint under which the county's libraries would be retained, and overseen by a 'central organisation'. It follows public outcry over plans to outsource two-thirds of Suffolk's library services as part of the county's unpopular New Strategic Direction, through which many council services were to be offered to private or voluntary sector contractors. The NSD was recently ditched by Suffolk's new leader, Cllr Mark Bee, who has told residents he will now reassess the authority's plans for future service provision so that the configuration of future services are informed by the public. The NSD - managed by Suffolk's former chief executive, Andrea Hill, who left the authority this week following a legal inquiry into her role - was partially introduced to save around 30% of the cost of the county's service provision. While Cllr Bee has made clear that he will not implement the NSD in full, he has warned that the county must continue to make savings. The revised library initiative, insiders claimed, would provide Suffolk with an opportunity to meet public demand to retain key local libraries – and save up to 30% of the costs of the sevrice. Following a four-month public consultation – through which 5,000 residents expressed their views – a plan has been put together under which Suffolk's libraries would be transferred to a new, low-cost organisation that would manage the sites budget, employ and train staff, and develop literary outreach services. In the meantime, Suffolk CC will also develop a number of 'partnership' pilots with town or parish councils, community or staff groups keen to run libraries. These community-involvement projects could help the council to continue to deliver crucial services at low cost. Cllr Judy Terry, Suffolk CC's libraries portfolio holder, said: 'Many of the ideas and principles within the proposal have come from communities themselves. Building on libraries as community hubs, supporting outreach work and enabling pilot projects to flourish were all things people told us they wanted. 'Most important of all was not closing any of Suffolk's libraries. We feel the proposals being put forward strike the right balance between protecting much-loved council services whilst finding necessary and unavoidable financial savings. The proposals in fact put Suffolk's libraries on a more sustainable footing for the future – something we can all agree is needed.' However, Cllr Terry acknowledged the future of the county's mobile library services had not yet been decided and would be considered separately. One Suffolk insider told The MJ.co.uk: 'The county is acting quickly to put the controversies over the NSD behind it. The revised libraries is one example of the new approach – there will be others, too.'

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Suffolk considers 'post-NSD' library plan

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