Issue - meetings

Cabinet Member: Community Services & Safety

Forward Plan Ref: 2021/056

Contact: Lesli Good, Assistant Director, Cultural Services Tel: 07930 617798

Report by Corporate Director of Customers and Organisational Development (CA12).

In April 2021 the Oxfordshire County Council Cabinet commissioned the development of a strategy for the future direction of the county’s library and heritage services. 

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to

a)                  Agree the draft Libraries and Heritage Strategy and action plan as set out in appendices 1 and 2, developed following a programme of stakeholder engagement and feedback from the Place Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

b)                 Agree a period of 8 weeks for public consultation on the strategy on the Let’s Talk Oxfordshire portal and taking place within libraries and heritage venues.

c)                  Note the feedback provided by the Place Overview and Scrutiny Committee and that an annual review of the actions to deliver the strategy will be reported to the Place Overview and Scrutiny Committee in the future.

Recommendations agreed

Cabinet considered the draft Libraries and Heritage Services Strategy. 

Councillor Neil Fawcett, Cabinet Member for Community Services and Safety, introduced the draft which took into account feedback from stakeholders, councillors and the Place Overview and Scrutiny Committee.  He thanked Lesli Good for her hard work in bringing the document to this stage.

Councillor Fawcett emphasised the importance of ensuring continued access to libraries as restrictions come into effect again due to Covid.  He particularly thanked Councillor Kieron Mallon for his constructive engagement with the strategy.  The next stage was to go out for public consultation.

Councillor Jenny Hannaby praised library staff for being so welcoming and had been delighted to see so many children using the library on a recent visit.

The Chair thanked officers for a very lively document that would encourage a lot of feedback.

Councillor Glynis Phillips proposed the recommendations.

RESOLVED to:

a)               Agree the draft Libraries and Heritage Strategy and action plan as set out in appendices 1 and 2, developed following a programme of stakeholder engagement and feedback from the Place Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

b)              Agree a period of 8 weeks for public consultation on the strategy on the Let’s Talk Oxfordshire portal and taking place within libraries and heritage venues.

c)               Note the feedback provided by the Place Overview and Scrutiny Committee and that an annual review of the actions to deliver the strategy will be reported to the Place Overview and Scrutiny Committee in the future.