DROP-IN events for the public to find out more about plans to close libraries and council buildings are being held across South Gloucestershire. 

The sessions are part of three major consultations to help save the district authority £22million by 2020.

The council is considering reducing opening hours and closing some libraries including Chipping Sodbury Library and its mobile library service to save £650,000. 

It has earmarked Thornbury’s One Stop Shop for closure or could cut opening hours at the council’s access points in Thornbury, Yate and Patchway to save £60,000 and a third consultation is considering closing Kingswood Civic Centre and relocating staff to Yate’s Badminton Road officers. 

Council leader Matthew Riddle (Con, Severn) encouraged people to take part and make their views known. 

“The council has no choice but to reduce spending, but we do have a choice in how we do it.“ he said. 

“Our priority remains to protect frontline services, particularly those delivering for the most vulnerable, wherever we can.

“We want to make sure our services are sustainable, which means getting the change right for the long-term. Now we have developed options, we want to hear views on how we can make sure our services can continue to deliver for the future.”

Cllr Riddle’s ruling Conservative party has, however, come under fire from opposition councillors for failing to protect frontline services and instead unanimously voting to uphold a manifesto pledge to axe the £36 opt-in green bin charge imposed in 2014. The budget would not stretch to scrapping the cost entirely but instead the party agreed to cut £6 from the annual bill of those people who pay to have their green bin emptied once a fortnight. 

Drop-in sessions on libraries take place at Thornbury Library on Wednesday, March 9 (2-7pm), Chipping Sodbury Library on Saturday, March 19 (9.30am-1pm), Yate Library on  Saturday, April 2 (9.30am-1pm) and Monday, April 11 (2-7pm), Tolzy Hall, Marshfield on Thursday, April 14 (10.30am-12.30pm) and Winterbourne Library on Tuesday, April 19 (2-7pm). 

Drop-in events on One Stop Shops will take place at Thornbury One Stop Shop on Wednesday, March 9 (2-5pm) and Yate One Stop Shop on Friday, March 18 (9.30am-12.30pm). 

A drop-in event on the council’s buildings will take place at the Badminton Road council offices in Yate on Tuesday, April 12 (4-7pm). 

Full details on each of the consultations, including background information and options being proposed are available online at southglos.gov.uk/consultation