Petition signed by thousands of concerned residents also handed to Newham Council, reports Nick Clark, Local Democracy Reporter

Save Newham Libraries petition hand-in (credit Nick Clark/LDRS) — Campaigners from Save Newham Libraries arrive to hand in their petition to Newham Council on Tuesday (credit Nick Clark/LDRS)

Libraries campaigners in Newham say they are still concerned about cuts proposed in the council’s budget.

Newham Council leaders insisted last week that there would be no staffing cuts or library closures after announcing a “partial reversal” of savings last week. But they still propose £175,000 of efficiency “savings” over two years.

A member of the ‘Save Newham Libraries’ campaign argued that “efficiencies means cuts and always has done”.

He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): “We’re looking to understand more about how the service could change but we still have this cuts figure hanging over us.”

Budget plans approved in 2025 proposed cutting £1.6million from the libraries service budget over three years.

New budget plans for the coming financial year, starting in April, say this cut has now been reduced by dropping staffing “savings” worth £470,000.

Other property savings have been “amalgamated” into a broader review of buildings housing council services.

The council says this means no libraries will close, opening hours will stay the same and that no staff will be made redundant.

Speaking at a cabinet meeting on Tuesday (17th) senior Labour councillor Charlene McLean, the cabinet member responsible for libraries, said the remaining savings wouldn’t affect the service residents receive.

Cllr McLean said: “There will be no changes in opening hours or staffing as part of the library review.

“These savings will have no impact on the service as a whole and the way that residents experience it.”

At an overview and scrutiny meeting, also held on Tuesday, Maria Christofi, the council’s senior manager in charge of finance, said a coming libraries review would now look at all services residents use in person.

Christofi said: “We will be reviewing all services that are provided in localities face-to-face to residents to understand how they all come together.

“Are we providing the right services in the right places to meet the needs of residents and communities in different parts of the borough?

“That is the review that is currently being undertaken.”

She also said last week that no library buildings would close as a result of the review.

The review is expected to be presented to council leaders in June, after local elections in May.

The Save Newham Libraries campaign says it is still calling on the council to “reverse” the remaining £175,000 savings planned.

Campaigners handed a petition to Cllr McLean ahead of Tuesday’s cabinet meeting.

One campaigner told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “They’ve been pushed by the campaign and they’ve been pushed by residents to change plans and that’s fantastic – we respect that that decision has been made.

“We’ve sent hundreds of emails to councillors, we’ve distributed thousands of flyers across the borough, we’ve made it clear that libraries are something that residents really care about and are willing to take action to protect.”

But he added: “Efficiencies means cuts and always has done. We still go into this review with the same problems.”

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