Library opening hours will be reduced across Cheshire East as the council looks to save money, including its facility in Crewe town centre.

Weekly opening hours at Crewe Library, inside Crewe Lifestyle Centre, will be cut by 10 from this November.

The facility will be open from 10am until 6pm (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday) and from 10am until 1pm (Wednesday).

From November, Crewe Library will be open from 10am until 6pm (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday) and from 10am until 1pm (Wednesday) (Ryan Parker).

Initially the plan was to close libraries for at least a day and half during the week, with Crewe losing 14 hours.

Following a backlash from the public during the consultation, that was revised and libraries which are currently open each weekday will continue to be, with one of those days being a half-day opening.

This will be achieved by opening later or closing earlier.

The decision was rubber stamped at an environment and communities committee this July, with seven voting in favour and the five Conservatives voting against.

Referring to the high number of responses from the public, Knutsford councillor Steward Gardiner said: "One line from one individual jumped out from the page at me – 'I go to the library because I am lonely'.

"That is why we should not be reducing the opening hours of our libraries and we should be doing all we can to ensure that the assets are sweated and that the benefits of that, where we can do that in the big libraries, are shared amongst us."

Initially the plan was to close libraries for at least a day and half during the week, with Crewe losing 14 hours (Cheshire East Council).

The meeting was told by the officer that options to 'sweat the assets' were being explored and a deal had been struck with Barclays Bank to use Macclesfield Library at certain times. Discussions were ongoing with others, councillors were told.

Cheshire East is also in talks with some town councils about the possibility of 'topping up' the service.

Councillors from all parties agreed no-one wanted to reduce the services.

Shavington councillor Linda Buchanan (Labour) said she didn't want to vote for reducing library hours but 'I don't want to see us go into a financial spiral of despair'.

Macclesfield councillor Ashley Farrall (Labour) said: "This is a direct consequence of national government destroying the economy… we're having to deal with this."

He added: "I do think we have an opportunity here, in the face of adversity, to look at how we can use our libraries to generate income with different functions."

Shavington councillor, Linda Buchanan, Labour (Cheshire East Council).

Earlier in the meeting Cllr Buchanan had asked that, in towns where the half day closure was proposed for Friday afternoons, that be changed because of the impact it would have on homeless people who often sought help from library staff.

The officer said if one library was closed on a Friday afternoon a nearby one would be open.

READ MORE: Free summer holidays leisure membership for young people in Crewe.

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By Ryan Parker and Belinda Ryan.