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ARTICLE : CILIP Update : September 2009

Consultants back community role as Swindon does a 'half' U-turn

SWINDON BOROUGH COUNCIL (SBC) has voted to give local people 'half of what they wanted' (in a councillor’s words).   Of four libraries slated for closure unless they became volunteer-run, three will now have single staffing plus volunteer help.  One is to be moved into a nearby arts centre. The fourth is being replaced by a mobile.

This comes with the publication of the report (by consultants ERS) commissioned by SBC and MLA (Museums, Libraries & Archives Council).  After a month and £10,000, it is in some ways similar to the report by Tim Coates (four days, no fee) that was organised for Swindon by local campaigners.

Both reports analyse SBC against comparator authorities.  Both suggest seeking savings in supplier and 'back-office' costs and the bills paid for central SBC services.

Both urge no closures until the service has a clear strategy.  Lack of a strategy, says ERS, has 'served to isolate' libraries, hidden their value to other council departments and 'led to a disconnect between the service and both existing and potential users'.

Yet 'community facilities' are a powerful way to deliver many local authority priorities, including community engagement.   ERS urges much more work with partners of all kinds, from the schools library service to unspecified other services that could benefit from recent 'substantial capital investment' in library buildings.  It notes that this capital spend has pushed SBC's costs to the top of its comparator group.

Local people have asked if less 'substantial' spending could have left enough over to preserve the smaller branches.  ERS's examples of successful schemes elsewhere are all developments costing multi-millions.  ERS is unhappy with the standard of SBC's consultation, both before and after it was extended to counter local protests.  It suggests staff training for this, and for further 'reconfiguring' of the service.  But staffing levels are already lower than most.  It is 'crucial' to value their skills and role in encouraging community use of libraries.

ERS also suggests that future planning should start with 'mapping' what is already there, seeing assets rather than negatives.   Each branch (especially the small ones) needs a detailed local profile of population, other facilities nearby, access issues, etc.  This needs 'immediate attention'.  A draft strategy completes the report.

Complaints continue to mount

ROWS ABOUT SWINDON continue to escalate – with complaints about MLA confusing the local issues.  This is unfortunate, as MLA re-launched itself this year as (partly) an advisory service to local councils (see 'A new, grounded MLA', p44).

A report by MLA's board partly supports a complaint from consultant Tim Coates.  Tim's suggested alternatives to downgrading four small libraries were dismissed in a 'desk analysis' by an (unnamed) MLA staffer.  The council was advised to ignore them.

The Taxpayers' Alliance is still pressing MLA to disgorge documents it demanded under the Freedom of Information Act. Tim has listed 35 that have been withheld.

In a new twist, the MLA board's report listed yet more correspondence that has not been disclosed – leading to further complaints from the Taxpayers' Alliance.  Campaigner Shirley Burnham is also now complaining about MLA.  Its dismissal of Tim's report, she wrote to MLA Chair Andrew Motion, 'adversely affected Swindon residents'.  She wants an apology, and a 'plenary meeting' to discuss the library service.

MLA replied that she does not have 'a full picture' of events and declined all further correspondence.  She is now, in turn, complaining about this response – to DCMS (Department for Culture, Media & Sport).

Finally, a complaint made back in March by a local MP to the Local Government Ombudsman – largely about poor consultation – has been approved for full investigation.

What went wrong?  The correspondence released so far shows there were reasonably cordial relations all round – at first. Even after Tim's report was issued.  Library chief Allyson Jordan was willing to meet Tim and campaigners.  She noted that several of Tim’s ideas were already planned for exploration (but too late for this year).

There was a sharp change of tone all round after the critical 'desk analysis' arrived.  Much puzzlement followed, outside Swindon borough/MLA circles, until its existence was revealed.  And MLA still declined to endorse its findings in public.

The MLA panel dismisses some of Tim's complaints, accepts others.  It finds that MLA was right to analyse Tim's report. But it should have given him a chance to comment.  It also has 'lessons' to learn about how it engages with local councils and outside consultants and issues of confidentiality.

Some of the language used in the analysis (and subsequent advice) was 'inappropriate', though much of it was 'valid and useful'.   The panel does not agree with MLA's assertion that Tim's report is 'poor'.  And it notes that the analysis itself started by stating that Tim might well be right ....

Save Old Town Library Campaign asks you to note !

Please note that in the article above there are one or two points which need clarification :

"SWINDON BOROUGH COUNCIL (SBC) has voted to give local people 'half of what they wanted' (in a councillor’s words).   Of four libraries slated for closure unless they became volunteer-run, three will now have single staffing plus volunteer help.  One is to be moved into a nearby arts centre. The fourth is being replaced by a mobile."
In fact two will now have single-staffing, one with volunteer help in the library, and the other with the presence of another person in the building, which is a community centre.  The third has been staffed by volunteers since April (with library staff co-ordinating) and the fourth is being replaced with a mobile from 1 September 09.

"Finally, a complaint made back in March by a local MP to the Local Government Ombudsman – largely about poor consultation – has been approved for full investigation."
The Ombudsman has not yet decided whether or not to approve the complaint for full investigation, but is undertaking her preliminary investigation.   It should also be clarified that the Anne Snelgrove, MP for South Swindon, submitted the complaint to the Ombudsman on behalf of Shirley Burnham who made the original complaint to Swindon Borough Council.   The complaint suggests that the complainant and other residents have suffered an injustice due to some administrative actions of the Council.

The Coates Report was requested by the Council, to a brief provided by officers.  Campaigners merely put Mr Coates in contact with Councillors; they did not arrange his consultancy work.