Explore York, an independent organisation contracted by City of York Council to oversee 15 libraries and the city archives, was scheduled to see £300,000 cut from its annual budget by the administration in the current financial year from April, and the same amount in the equivalent 2025-26 year.
The council hoped to find savings of £14.3 million overall in the current financial period, saying a ‘black hole’ of more than £40 million needed filling in the space of three years.
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Now, York’s Liberal Democrats say that proposed Explore budget cuts in this financial year have been delayed and have called on the Labour administration to scrap them altogether.
The opposition group said the council discovered it cannot unilaterally change the contract it signed with Explore York.
The Lib Dems said that the council had discussions with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), and Explore, and any changes to the contract have to be agreed by both parties and in consultation with the public.
Labour bosses said the council is working with Explore to ensure all processes are appropriate and legal, whilst still making the same overall amount of proposed budget savings to ‘balance the council budget’.
Councillor Darryl Smalley, executive member for libraries under the former Lib Dem / Green coalition administration in York, said: “It’s truly astonishing that Labour’s council leaders thought that they could cut £300,000 from Explore’s contract unilaterally and with no consultation with the organisation.
“The depth of public concern on this issue is very clear, evidenced by the protests and that over 3,000 local residents signed the Lib Dems’ petition against the funding cuts.
“It is no surprise to anyone that this proposed cut has failed at the first hurdle.
“The council should scrap this cut altogether and focus on protecting libraries as vital community hubs.
“The fact the DCMS had to intervene highlights what a farce Labour’s leadership of the council is – I wouldn’t trust them to run a bath let alone run our council.”
City of York Council’s executive member for culture, Cllr Pete Kilbane said: “The council is working with Explore to ensure the process followed is appropriate, legal and delivers the savings agreed by the council in February.
“This is a difficult situation, with neither City of York Council nor Explore wanting to make cuts.
“When Labour took control of the council it inherited a £44 million black hole, meaning we had to take difficult decisions to stabilise the council’s finances.
“This includes those areas like libraries that had seen no savings required since Explore was first set up in 2014.
“Both parties understand that the £600,000 in savings need to be found to balance the council budget.
“They will be delivered next year rather than £300,000 each year over two years.
“We remain confident Explore can deliver a comprehensive library service after meeting this savings target, and the involvement of the relevant Government department follows good practice when looking at funding reductions such as these.
“Having left the council on a precipice, Liberal Democrats continue to sleepwalk through the reality of a council budget that in real terms is tens of millions lower than it was in 2010.
“This shows them to be an excellent fit for opposition, and not a party currently fit to run the council.”
Councillor Smalley said: “If they intend to go ahead with this cut, Labour must now set out which services they will no longer provide.
“Which libraries will close? Will they axe the mobile library? How many librarians will be made redundant? Residents deserve to know.”
When approached by The Press, a spokesperson for Explore York said the organisation did not wish to comment.
In February this year, when the cuts were announced, Jo Coles, then executive member responsible for libraries was called on to resign by Cllr Smalley, who claimed the Labour administration did not undertake real consultation with Explore.
At the same time, Cllr Coles responded to a letter sent by Explore’s directors to all city councillors urging against reductions in library services by saying it was ‘disappointing that they seem to be more focused on stepping into political territory’.
