Council to probe its own proposals on libraries
Thursday, 9th June 2011.
A committee of councillors is to scrutinise Suffolk County Council’s review of Suffolk’s libraries service – and will make recommendations which will feed into decisions to be taken by the council’s cabinet in July this year.
The council’s scrutiny committee, chaired by Cllr Colin Hart, will look at what makes a library service successful and the provisional themes coming out of the council’s libraries consultation.
The committee will hear evidence from a range of groups and individuals who have been involved in the consultation process – including those who have expressed an interest in running a library.
It will then question the county council’s portfolio holder responsible for the libraries review, Cllr bJudy Terry, on the direction the council is taking.
The committee will also be seeking to find out how responses to the consultation will be considered and reported to the council’s cabinet.
And in a break from the norm, the committee’s chairman will make available a time-limited opportunity for some people in the public gallery to make additional comments on issues not already raised during the meeting.
Cllr Hart said: “This is an important opportunity to look at how the council is moving forward with the libraries review – and give interested parties an opportunity to air their views in public.
"I’ve long called for the scrutiny committee to be given the opportunity to have a say on key issues before they are decided on by cabinet.”
The council’s new leader, Cllr Mark Bee, has made it clear that he wants the council to listen more carefully to what people in Suffolk are saying about the changes to public services being made in the county.
Cllr Bee said: “Suffolk County Council is faced with making some extremely difficult decisions in light of the reduced funding we have available to deliver council services.
"But it doesn’t mean we can’t involve Suffolk residents in those decisions and listen carefully to what they are saying. If we’re going to face up to and overcome these huge challenges, we need to work together for Suffolk.”
The council’s scrutiny committee, chaired by Cllr Colin Hart, will look at what makes a library service successful and the provisional themes coming out of the council’s libraries consultation.
The committee will hear evidence from a range of groups and individuals who have been involved in the consultation process – including those who have expressed an interest in running a library.
It will then question the county council’s portfolio holder responsible for the libraries review, Cllr bJudy Terry, on the direction the council is taking.
The committee will also be seeking to find out how responses to the consultation will be considered and reported to the council’s cabinet.
And in a break from the norm, the committee’s chairman will make available a time-limited opportunity for some people in the public gallery to make additional comments on issues not already raised during the meeting.
Cllr Hart said: “This is an important opportunity to look at how the council is moving forward with the libraries review – and give interested parties an opportunity to air their views in public.
"I’ve long called for the scrutiny committee to be given the opportunity to have a say on key issues before they are decided on by cabinet.”
The council’s new leader, Cllr Mark Bee, has made it clear that he wants the council to listen more carefully to what people in Suffolk are saying about the changes to public services being made in the county.
Cllr Bee said: “Suffolk County Council is faced with making some extremely difficult decisions in light of the reduced funding we have available to deliver council services.
"But it doesn’t mean we can’t involve Suffolk residents in those decisions and listen carefully to what they are saying. If we’re going to face up to and overcome these huge challenges, we need to work together for Suffolk.”
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