A £700,000 boost to Bradford's library budget will be discussed by Council bosses in the New Year.

The Council Executive will discuss funding for the library service budget for 2020/21 as part of a wider health and wellbeing initiative.

The Council is in the process of making over £1m cuts to the library service budget, but says the new funding will help to "inform plans to re-shape library services in order to sustain a viable and accessible network into the future.

"With this approach in mind it is proposed that some funding should be used to support new investments and this includes the development of an enhanced and re-modelled offer in libraries.

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"This offer won’t change the primary function of our libraries as places to borrow books and read. However, there is an opportunity for libraries to become hubs to act as a focal point for people to gather, to mix and talk, helping to address loneliness and social isolation."

The Executive meets in City Hall on January 2 at 10.30am.

Councillor Sarah Ferriby, portfolio holder for Healthy People and Places, said: “As part of this year’s budget proposal we want to ensure prudent use is made of funding to support services that impact directly on the health and well-being of the district.

“The library service is a key support service, which makes a positive impact on the causes of poverty, while offering aid to those seeking employment, preparing children for school and tackling social isolation.

“We are currently engaging widely around the future of our library service and hope to go to formal consultation with our proposals, taking into account the results of the public engagement, at the start of the New Year. This extra health and wellbeing investment will allow us a wider scope with regards to these proposals which is good news for our libraries and residents.”

Details on how the huge cuts to the library budget will impact services are also likely to be revealed in early 2020 when the Council begins a public consultation into the changes.