Newham Council has ruled out any library closures for 2026/27 but not for the following years, reports Nick Clark, Local Democracy Reporter

Residents campaigning to save local libraries are calling on Newham Council to be clear on what planned spending cuts could mean.

The council said earlier this month that there would be no library closures in the coming year, despite agreeing cuts of £1.6million over the next few years.

A ‘Save Newham Libraries’ campaign spokesperson said this week they were “quite glad” there would be no closures this year but added: “It’s unclear what’s off and on the table around these cuts.

“We still don’t have a lot of clarity around what these cuts mean.”

Budget plans agreed in February 2025 included £1.6m of “savings” to be made by April 2028 through a “review” of the library service. The proposals warned that the review “could result in some library closures”.

The council is still yet to confirm detailed plans, with council leaders set to consider options at a meeting in March.

Yet leading councillors said earlier this month that there would be no libary closures in the coming financial year, from April 2026 to March 2027.

Speaking at a cabinet meeting on Thursday, 8th January, the council’s cabinet member for resident engagement Charlene McLean said she wanted to “set the record straight”.

Cllr McLean said: “There’s been a campaign at the moment about save our libraries and there’s a lot of misinformation that’s circling in the public domain.”

The Labour councillor said that the actual savings to be made, along with any decision, are still being worked on. However, draft budget proposals still include the £1.6m of savings, and Cllr McLean didn’t rule out closures altogether.

She said: “The review will lead to a more efficient library service from a strategy that enables innovative delivery methods.

“It was acknowledged that the proposal could result in some library closures by 2027/28 but still officers have been working tirelessly to find other ways to deliver these savings to prevent closures, including income generation and efficiency improvements.”

Cllr McLean added that “libraries are a lot more than books” and suggested they could be remodeled to provide a broader range of council services.

A spokesperson for Save Newham Libraries told the Local Democray Reporting Service (LDRS) they would be more reassured if the council “could clarify there would be no library closures in any years”.

They said: “If you have written that [£1.6m] number down as a target those cuts have got to come from somewhere. They are not ruling much out to be honest.”

They added that as well as opposing clousres, the campaign would also object to any staff cuts or reduced opening hours.

Save Newham Libaries said “turnout was huge” at a recent public campaign meeting at the Old Spotted Dog football ground.

The spokesperson said: “It was quite moving hearing peoples’ experiences with the libraires, growing up with these libraries. It’s quite an emotive topic for people. There’s a lot of public sentiment against these cuts.

“People have talked about mothers bringing their kids to the libraries, the libraries being one of the only spaces you cna just exist in without having to pay for something.”

They added: “The library is a safe space for people who’ve recently come to the country, with opportunites for people with English as a second language, navigating the bureacuracy.

“People from the renters union have told us the library is a place they can go to find out what their options are. It’s almost like a gateway service.”

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