ESSEX County Council’s award winning library service could be transferred into a trust to save almost £1million.
The library service has repeatedly considered the financial benefits of setting up a trust, but is concerned about the loss of control over the service, according to councillor responsible for heritage, culture and the arts, Jeremy Lucas.
The council is working towards its target operating model which includes a library review. The service could be entitled to £980,000 in rate relief if it is run as a trust and there could be other savings with the removal of corporate costs.
But there would be a cost in setting up a trust.
Mr Lucas, responding in a written reply at a meeting of the council, also revealed Essex has 73 static library sites. Fifty one are owned by the council on a freehold basis and 22 on a leasehold basis with an estimated value of £44million.
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