Turning over a new leaf for Bristol’s libraries
Bristol Liberal Democrats have led the development of the city’s new library strategy published last week, which marks a new chapter for the service which saw so many years of existential threats and stealth cuts under Bristol Labour. Following the securing of the budget by the Liberal Democrats, the service faces no cuts and instead can focus on improvements.
Uncertainty and disruption have faced Bristol’s libraries for the last decade. In 2016, opening hours were cut by almost a quarter in order to save £1.1 million from the budget. In 2017, Bristol Labour proposed saving £1.4 million by removing funding from seventeen libraries, only to u-turn on these plans almost a year later after the Liberal Democrats and others campaigned against them. Before they finally lost control of city hall, Labour planned to sell off the Central Library and move it to a smaller site and their final act was to enact a city-wide recruitment freeze in 2023, hamstringing the service and leading to more than 300 temporary closures.
Cllr Stephen Williams (Liberal Democrat, Westbury-on-Trym & Henleaze), Chair of the Public Health and Communities Committee, has led the development of the new strategy that seeks to improve people’s access to libraries and to make them welcoming, sustainable and rooted in our communities.
Cllr Stephen Williams said:
“This strategy is a fresh start for our city’s libraries, which spent years under threat and with budgets slashed under Bristol Labour. With the service’s £5 million budget secured, this strategy is an opportunity to transform our library service and make it one that truly serves the needs of the city.
“Libraries have had a rough time of it in previous years. Under Labour administrations, the service faced plans to have funding removed from more than half of the city’s libraries, and a recruitment freeze that led to widespread unplanned closures. As soon as I got into office, I reversed the recruitment freeze, ruled out plans to close the central library, and set about protecting the service’s budget from further cuts.
“This new library strategy is a testament to our commitment as Liberal Democrats to create thriving, sustainable libraries that are at the centre of our local communities.”
ENDS
Notes to Editors:
- Draft library strategy, coming to Public Health and Policy Committee on 19th October 2026: 7.2.2 Appendix A2 - Draft Library Strategy.pdf; Committee papers: ModernGov - bristol.gov.uk
- Council press release: Draft strategy sets out ambitious plans to improve Bristol Libraries
- Lib Dems secure library budget: Bristol’s library budget protected in full - Bristol Liberal Democrats