Decision details

Communities, Transport and Environment Panel (13^th November 2017) decision:

The call in of the decision E2999 (Modern Libraries Bath – Consultation Outcomes and Proposals) was heard by the Communities, Transport and Environment PDS Panel this afternoon. The call in was dismissed (5 for 4 against)

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Report will cover the outcomes from the consultation on the location of Bath Library/One Stop Shop and propose that Cabinet make a decision on that location.

Call in of Cabinet Member Decision E2999 “Modern Libraries Bath - Consultation outcomes and proposals” made by the Cabinet on 11^th October 2017.

The call in request is made in the public interest of full disclosure of the facts underpinning the decision to move the One Stop Shop to The Podium and for the following specific reasons:

a.  The need for public scrutiny of the Council’s expenditure on this project to date – no breakdown of the expenditure costs has been published – and of the proposed savings related to the investment.

b.  No open, public consultation has taken place on the issue of whether co-location of Bath Library and the One Stop Shop is desirable or accepted by service users.

c.  No evidence has been presented about the practicality of co-locating services at The Podium, nor whether this would benefit or disadvantage service users. No assessment has been made of the potential impact on both services. No assessment has been made of the needs of users for either the One Stop Shop or Bath Central Library. No benchmark example of comparable conversions of a small main city library into a co-located library and One Stop Shop has been given.

d.  It is unclear whether the project is deliverable or sustainable given the issues around The Podium lease arrangements, and the Police/Shopmobility lease arrangements at Lewis House, which have not been resolved.

On 11^th October 2017the Cabinet RESOLVED (unanimously) that the Cabinet agreed to:

1)  Note the outcome of the consultation.

2)  Approve The Podium as the chosen site for the central Bath integrated Library & One Stop Shop.

3)  Fully approve capital spending of £330K for the next phase of the project.

4)  Agree that the next phase will involve appointment of architects and a positive programme of user and partner engagement to enable detailed designs and costings, as set out in appendix B of the report.

5)  Note that once detailed costings have been produced, and final designs established, the total requirement for capital funding will be confirmed and relevant approvals obtained.

As described in the July report, integrating the Library and OSS in Bath allows us to deliver our strategic objectives at the same time as meeting the financial challenges we face.

In Section 7 of the July report and in detail in the accompanying business case we described the alternative options for achieving the objectives set out. Having completed the consultation on the two viable options we are ready to recommend a site for the new service and to progress into design and delivery.

The other viable option was to locate both services in Lewis House.  The Council has no preference for either site and the consultation material reflected this.  This option was preferred by the partner organisations that currently operate from Lewis House but these parties considered the benefits of co-locating services outweighed the location.  This, together with the balance of public opinion, is the basis for the selection of The Podium and the recommendation in this report.