Andy Collins
Sixteen libraries across Fife face closure as Fife Council seeks to balance its books in the face of a £77 million budget deficit.
The closures have been recommended by Fife Cultural Trust, which manages libraries in Fife on behalf of the Council, as it attempts to find £813,000 of savings in addition to the £906,000 of cuts it has already delivered.
Andy Collins, a member of Cupar Community Council, chair of Sustainable Cupar, and a Scottish Greens List Candidate for Mid Scotland and Fife at the 2016 Holyrood Elections, criticised the plans, stating:
“The damage caused to vital services by the continuing pressure on local government funding is becoming increasingly obvious to Fife residents. But the option of closing 16 libraries should not be on the table. There is still time to campaign to save these precious community resources before the Council makes a decision in the autumn.
Fife Greens will do all they can to help prevent the proposed closures from taking place. Stop-gap measures such as these inflict lasting harm, especially on the young, the elderly, and those on low incomes or who are seeking work. In the short-term we must oppose these cuts. Access to a library is essential to building sustainable local communities.
We must also ensure local councils and communities are given greater control over their finances, so they can protect frontline services. We should end the Council Tax freeze, and introduce a fairer system of funding for local services.”
The libraries threatened with closure are: Abbeyview, Bowhill, Colinsburgh, Crail, Crossgates, East Wemyss, Falkland, Freuchie, Glenwood, Kinghorn, Lundin Links, Markinch, Pittenweem, Pitteuchar, Thornton, and Townhill.
You can sign the petition to keep the libraries open here: https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/keep-fife-s-libraries-open