Voluntary groups could be brought in to save Bracknell’s home library service, it has been suggested – after the council announced plans to close it.

The service delivers books and other library loan items to housebound residents free of charge. But Bracknell Forest Council finance chiefs have suggested ending it as part of plans to save £201,000 by merging libraries and customer services over two years.

But now the council has said the service could be kept running until at least April 2025 – and that in the meantime it will look for other groups who could run it. The announcement came after councillor Gareth Barnard asked if there were ways to keep the service running.

Councillor Barnard said: “There are many ways of delivering this.

“Would it not be one of those services where it makes more sense to investigate a voluntary or third sector-led initiative first before actually deleting the service?”

Stuart McKellar, the council officer in charge of resources, said that proposals to close the service would be included in the second year of the two-year savings plan. This covers the 2024-25 and 25-26 financial years, which start and end in April.

Mr McKellar said that gave the council 12 months to find volunteer organisations who might be able to run the service.

He said: “So my understanding is that the home library service is part of year two, so that does allow time to do exactly what councillor Barnard has just indicated around work with the voluntary sector and others to identity other ways of enabling people who can’t travel to the libraries to still have access to library provision.”

The change to the home library service is part of a proposed budget currently being considered by Bracknell Forest Council.

The announcement came at a meeting of the council’s Overview and Scrutiny Commission on Thursday, January 11, where councillors asked questions about the proposals. Council leader Mary Temperton said it was a ‘tough budget’ as ‘money is scarce.’

Members of the public can share their views on the budget on Bracknell Forest Council’s website as part of a consultation set to end on January 23.

The council is set to formally agree the final version of its budget for the 2024-25 financial year at a meeting in February.