COMMUNITY groups willing to run three of the borough’s smaller libraries have been revealed.

But the libraries involved include two which were not on Bexley Council’s list of five preferred branches.

The shortlisted groups are Bexley Village Community Library (Bexley Village library), Youth Action Diversity Trust (Northumberland Heath library), Howbury Friends (Slade Green library), Age Concern Bexley (Sidcup library) and Trust Thamesmead (Thamesmead library).

Bexley’s original list of libraries up for grabs was Bexley Village, Bostall, Northumberland Heath, Slade Green and Upper Belvedere.

But Bexley has stressed that although some groups were unsuccessful, it does not now mean their library will close.

The shortlisted groups have been asked to submit business plans for how they propose to do it.

Bexley hopes to offer the successful groups a lease on favourable terms and opportunities to introduce new services such as a cafe or post office.

The business plans will be scrutinised and there will be detailed discussions before Bexley announces which organisations have been successful in October.

It is intended to phase in the community management, but it is hoped some groups will be ready to take over by the end of March next year.

Meanwhile cuts to libraries, which Bexley Council says will save money but protect key services, have been also unveiled.

Cabinet member for leisure, arts and tourism, Councillor Peter Catterall says the plans will help reduce staffing levels and running costs and hopefully avoid the closure of any of the borough’s libraries.

He said Bexley had taken into account comments from the public when drawing up the plans which are aimed at keeping branches open during their busiest times.

There will be changes to library hours

THE changes to the library service include.- four libraries which currently close at lunchtime, including Thamesmead which closes every day for lunch, will now remain open, capitalise on the busiest periods; from September, morning opening times will be trimmed, to start at 10am instead of the current 9.30am and every library will close for half-a-day a week, during its quiet period. The half-day closing will be staggered to make sure other nearby libraries will be open, when one is closed; Evening openings will be cut, removing two late opening nights and shortening the third from closing at 8pm to closing at 7pm.

But there will be one library open every night from Monday to Thursday; Bexleyheath’s Central library will still open on a Sunday, but will close at 1pm instead of 2pm.

Details of the new opening times on a branch by branch basis will be announced later in the summer.