FROM October Thurrock Council’s nine libraries will be reducing their hours of opening.
At the start of this year, the council ran a major public consultation onto the future of the borough’s library system and there was an overwhelming response in favour of cutting hours instead of reducing the number of libraries.
Council Leader and portfolio holder for libraries, Cllr John Kent, said: “When we consulted, there appeared to be a general assumption we would be closing libraries, yet that was never the case, it was a real open consultation.
“No one person ‘saved’ their local library, but every one of the 3,000 and more people who took part on the consultation made it perfectly clear that a reduction in hours was the way forward if savings have to be made – and unfortunately they do.”
He added: “In fact talks about how our library service could change and actually provide a better service across the borough resulted in plans to open a new one.
“Work is already going on at the former housing office in Purfleet and before long it will open its doors as the area’s first library – currently people in Purfleet have to go to Aveley or Grays.”
Cllr Kent explained how the council had examined library usage – both the number of visits and the number of items issued – and then made changes to the opening hours in line with those figures.
The new hours will come into operation on 5 October and will see Grays library opening at 9am but with two late nights instead of three.
All libraries will close at 1pm on a Saturday and details of the new hours are available online at thurrock.gov.uk/libraries
Cllr Kent added: “Although the two libraries that currently house community hubs – South Ockendon and Chadwell – are changing hours, the hubs themselves are run outside of council control, so it should not affect the hub hours at all.
“The same should apply to future hub conversions. In Aveley, for example, the library is expected to move into the new hub centre – initially, library staff will only be available at the time advertised, but there is no reason for the hub itself to reduce to the same hours.”
The new library hours are:
Grays: Monday, 9am to 7pm; Tuesday, 9am to 5pm; Wednesday, 9am to 5pm; Thursday, 9am to 7pm; Friday, 9am to 5pm; and Saturday, 9am to 1pm.
Aveley: Monday, closed; Tuesday, 10am to 1pm and 2pm to 5pm; Wednesday, closed; Thursday, 10am to 1pm and 2pm to 5pm; Friday, closed; and Saturday, 10am to 1pm.
Blackshots: Monday, 10am to 1pm and 2pm to 5pm; Tuesday, 10am to 1pm and 2pm to 5pm; Wednesday, closed; Thursday, 10am to 1pm and 2pm to 5pm; Friday, 10am to 1pm and 2pm to 5pm; and Saturday, 10am to 1pm.
Chadwell Information Centre: Monday, 10am to 1pm and 2pm to 5pm; Tuesday, 10am to 1pm and 2pm to 5pm; Wednesday, closed; Thursday, 10am to 1pm and 2pm to 5pm; Friday, 10am to 1pm and 2pm to 5pm; and Saturday, 10am to 1pm.
Corringham: Monday, 10am to 5pm; Tuesday, 10am to 5pm; Wednesday, 10am to 5pm; Thursday, 10am to 5pm; Friday, 10am to 5pm; and Saturday, 10am to 1pm.
East Tilbury: Monday, closed; Tuesday, 10am to 1pm and 2pm to 5pm; Wednesday, closed; Thursday, 10am to 1pm and 2pm to 5pm; Friday, closed; and Saturday, 10am to 1pm.
South Ockendon Centre: Monday, 10am to 5pm; Tuesday, 10am to 5pm; Wednesday, 10am to 5pm; Thursday, 10am to 5pm; Friday, 10am to 5pm; and Saturday, 10am to 1pm.
Stanford-le-Hope: Monday, closed; Tuesday, 10am to 1pm and 2pm to 5pm; Wednesday, closed; Thursday, 10am to 1pm and 2pm to 5pm; Friday, closed; and Saturday, 10am to 1pm.
Tilbury: Monday, 10am to 1pm and 2pm to 5pm; Tuesday, closed; Wednesday, closed; Thursday, closed; Friday, 10am to 1pm and 2pm to 5pm; Saturday, 10am to 1pm.
