Reading Conservatives have welcomed the decision of the Conservative led coalition on Reading Borough Council to extend the opening hours of four Borough libraries.
After a consultation with library users the Council has announced that Palmer Park, Battle, Southcote and Whitley libraries will now open over lunchtime from 1pm to 2pm from 31st January.
Park ward Councillor Wazir Hussain, in whose ward Palmer Park library sits and who has been lobbying for this extension for several years, said, "Residents who have been frustrated they couldn't pop into the library during their lunch break have contacted me, so I'm delighted a solution has been found to change this. In contrast to some other Councils who are having to close libraries, Reading's Conservative/Liberal Democrat coalition is working to strengthen access to this invaluable service, despite the financial budget constraints."
Cllr Tom Stanway, Reading's Lead Councillor for Culture and Sport, said: “Whilst nationally the picture is of libraries closing, here in Reading we are seeing an increase in their opening hours. These new hours show that with a creative and innovative approach services can be increased even with the current budget constraints."