Plans to close Dunstable library for two days a week branded 'simply madness'

A business wouldn’t close on its second busiest day, so why is Central Bedfordshire Council looking to close Dunstable Library on Mondays, one of them asked.

Councillor John Gurney (The Independent Alliance, Dunstable East) told Tuesday’s Executive Meeting (February 18) that Mondays are the second most popular day of the week after Saturday, and even with reduced hours Sunday was not the least popular day.

“No one who runs business properly would close it on the second most popular day of a seven-day a week operation – it would simply be madness,” he said.

The proposal to reduce the opening hours from 59 to 43 would save £35,000, but would mean the “deletion” of five part-time customer service assistant posts according to the 2025 Budget Consultation Report.

Councillor Gurney said: “[I’ve] seen the wording of the proposal to make library staff redundant, through no fault of their own, and I feel it comes across quite callous.

“Meanwhile, we have senior officers on huge salaries who cannot even be bothered to review the library to assess when it is most popular, the services it provides, if it could raise more income, how efficient it is, etc.

“I cannot support any proposal that makes no sense, doesn’t add up, and would be severely detrimental to the community it is supposed to serve,” he told the Executive.

Councillor Eugene Ghent (Conservative, Dunstable West) said the library is a “big part” of the town.

“Your own figures say that 800 people use a library on a Sunday and Monday, a large portion of which are mother and baby groups, disadvantaged children, etc.

“I did note in the comments that these groups can be run on other days.

“Well, guess what? They’re run on Sundays because that’s when they can run them.

“[Please] reconsider this because it’s a big loss to the town,” he said.

The executive member for finance, councillor John Baker (The Independent Alliance, Aspley and Woburn), replied: “I’m very sympathetic to the case you’re making.

“I welcome the amendment you’re almost certainly going to make to Full Council on this matter. And I might even support it.”