LIBRARIES across the district could close if volunteers do not step forward to run them, a council boss has warned.
Labour-led Bradford Council wants most of its 32 libraries to become community-managed as part of moves to save £120 million from council budgets.
Under the proposal, all but the seven most heavily-used libraries would become community-managed over a period of three years.
Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe, executive member for education, skills and culture, yesterday warned that if communities did not step forward, the facilities would have to shut.
She said: "Where those communities are unable to take on those libraries in a community management model, they will close."
Cllr Hinchcliffe added that she did not want to be making the proposal, saying it was "not something anybody goes into politics to do".
The libraries which Bradford Council would continue to run directly would be in Bradford city centre, Shipley, Keighley, Eccleshill, Bingley, Manningham and Ilkley.
Library opening hours would also reduce and there would be less money for books and materials.
Cllr Hinchcliffe said another proposal she was making "with a heavy heart" was a 30 per cent cut to a service which helps young people on to courses or into work.
She warned this could well see the number of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET) increase locally.
The council's executive met at City Hall yesterday, where councillors agreed to take their budget proposals to a public consultation.
A two-year budget, for 2016-2018, will then be set in February.
The proposals also include cuts to winter gritting, street lighting, sports pitches, bin collections, Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) and sports clubs.
Councillor Imran Khan, executive member for environment, sport and sustainability, said significant savings could be made by encouraging people to recycle more.
He said his proposals were for general waste and recycling waste to be collected on alternate weeks.
"If people fail to meet their responsibilities then there is a risk of deterioration in cleanliness in the short term, but there will be an ongoing programme of education and awareness-raising to reduce this risk," he said.
In last year's budget, proposed cuts to bowling greens proved unpopular with bowls clubs, which accused the council of failing to speak to them before drawing up the plans.
Cllr Khan said this year, they were looking at how they could transfer sports pitches to local groups.
He said: "Just to reassure everyone, we have learned from previous mistakes and will be talking to clubs directly."
The budget proposals would see council tax go up by 1.6 per cent, and the council also wants to gauge the public's opinion on an idea to add a further levy of two per cent, specifically to fund adult social care.
Chancellor George Osborne gave local authorities the option of having a social care levy of up to two per cent in his Autumn Statement last week.
But Bradford Council leader, Councillor David Green, said this would not even "undo the cuts that have already been made" to Bradford's social care budget.
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