Sam Rowlands, Member of the Welsh Parliament for North Wales, hopes a library and one stop shop service will continue in Denbighshire.
Denbighshire County Council recently held a consultation about reducing the hours to libraries and one stop shops.
Mr Rowlands, Shadow Minister for Local Government and a keen supporter of keeping community venues open for local people said:
I think it is very sad that services like this have to be cut but I was pleased to hear that the council received 4,600 responses to the consultation which just shows the depth of feeling about this issue.
It is proposed to halve the hours to libraries and one stop shops across Denbighshire in order to keep them all open which is a shame, however, I appreciate the council, like all authorities in North Wales, have to balance their books.
I think it is absolutely vital that this service is continued as for some people it is a friendly and warm place for them to go and maybe the only time they meet up with anyone.
I just hope when the Cabinet make a decision next month they take all this into account.
Denbighshire County Council’s consultation about the reduction in hours to the library and one stop shop service closed at the end of October. The consultation generated a record-breaking 4,600 responses, which equates to nearly 5% of Denbighshire’s population. A paper with recommendations for the next steps will go to Cabinet for a decision on December 19.
The consultation proposed a 50% reduction in hours to Denbighshire’s Library and One Stop Shop Service. This proposal meant that all eight council run libraries would remain open to deliver services to residents, albeit for fewer hours per Library/One Stop Shop.
Last month, Denbighshire County Council warned that it faces significant budgetary pressures due to rising costs and demand for services, leaving funding gap of £20.4m. The council, like local authorities throughout Wales, must find significant savings and the Cabinet has asked services across the authority to put forward proposals for consideration.
Gobaith Sam Rowlands AS y bydd cyngor yn y gogledd yn gwrando ar drigolion
Mae Sam Rowlands, yr Aelod o’r Senedd dros Ogledd Cymru, yn gobeithio y bydd llyfrgell a gwasanaeth siop un stop yn parhau yn Sir Ddinbych.
Yn ddiweddar, cynhaliodd Cyngor Sir Ddinbych ymgynghoriad i drafod cwtogi oriau llyfrgelloedd a siopau un stop.
Dywedodd Mr Rowlands, Gweinidog Llywodraeth Leol yr Wrthblaid a chefnogwr brwd i gadw mentrau cymunedol ar agor ar gyfer pobl leol:
Mae’n drist iawn bod yn rhaid torri gwasanaethau fel hyn ond roeddwn yn falch o glywed bod y cyngor wedi derbyn 4,600 o ymatebion i’r ymgynghoriad, sy’n brawf o gryfder y teimladau am y mater hwn.
Y bwriad yw haneru oriau llyfrgelloedd a siopau un stop ar draws Sir Ddinbych er mwyn eu cadw nhw i gyd ar agor, sy’n drueni. Fodd bynnag, rwy’n gwerthfawrogi bod yn rhaid i’r cyngor, fel pob awdurdod yn y gogledd, fantoli ei gyfrifon.
Rwy’n credu ei bod yn gwbl hanfodol bod y gwasanaeth hwn yn parhau oherwydd ei fod yn lle cyfeillgar a chynnes ar gyfer rhai pobl ac o bosib yr unig dro maen nhw’n cyfarfod ag unrhyw un.
Gobeithio y bydd y Cabinet yn ystyried hyn oll pan fydd yn gwneud penderfyniad fis nesaf.
Daeth ymgynghoriad Cyngor Sir Ddinbych ar gwtogi oriau llyfrgelloedd a’r gwasanaeth siop un stop i ben ddiwedd mis Hydref. Derbyniodd yr ymgynghoriad 4,600 o ymatebion, nifer digynsail sy’n cyfateb i bron i 5% o boblogaeth Sir Ddinbych. Bydd papur gydag argymhellion ar gyfer y camau nesaf yn mynd gerbron y Cabinet am benderfyniad ar 19 Rhagfyr.
Roedd yr ymgynghoriad yn cynnig gostyngiad o 50% yn oriau Gwasanaeth Llyfrgell a Siop Un Stop Sir Ddinbych. Roedd y cynnig hwn yn golygu y byddai pob un o’r wyth llyfrgell dan ofal y cyngor yn aros ar agor i ddarparu gwasanaethau i breswylwyr, er am lai o oriau fesul Llyfrgell/Siop Un Stop.
Fis diwethaf, rhybuddiodd Cyngor Sir Ddinbych ei fod yn wynebu pwysau cyllidebol sylweddol oherwydd costau cynyddol a’r galw am wasanaethau, gan adael bwlch cyllid o £20.4m. Mae’n rhaid i’r cyngor, fel awdurdodau lleol ledled Cymru, ddod o hyd i arbedion sylweddol ac mae’r Cabinet wedi gofyn i wasanaethau ar draws yr awdurdod gyflwyno cynigion i’w hystyried.
