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Senior councillors in Caerphilly will push ahead with proposals to close up to ten of the county borough’s libraries.

They believe concentrating on fewer sites and developing “hubs” there will improve the library service and allow users to access other organisations – as well as saving the council money.

Opposition councillors have criticised the proposal to shut “valuable” smaller libraries and argue some people may struggle to travel further afield if their local site closes.

Under the latest proposals, council libraries in Bargoed, Blackwood, Caerphilly, Rhymney, Risca and Ystrad Mynach would remain open as hubs.

Newbridge and New Tredegar would also stay open, but the latter would be reviewed in the next three years.

The libraries still at risk of closure are in Aberbargoed, Abercarn, Abertridwr, Bedwas, Deri, Llanbradach, Machen, Nelson, Oakdale, and Pengam.

Caerphilly County Borough Council’s cabinet members agreed on Thursday January 16 to a further round of public consultation, due to begin later this month.

Cllr Carol Andrews, the cabinet member for libraries, welcomed the “significant” response to a first consultation round on the general proposals, held in late 2024.

She said the strength of opposition to potentially shutting libraries in Newbridge and New Tredegar – and the fact the council serves as an “anchor tenant” in those buildings – had persuaded the local authority to remove those two sites from its closure list.

The council also said developing a “community outreach service” will “mitigate” the effects of any closures.

The refitted Rhymney Library has been cited as an example of what the council hopes to achieve with its hub model, which would be home to a variety of council services, as well as other third-sector organisations.

Tina McMahon, the manager of the Caerphilly Cares services, said hubs would act as a “gateway” for residents seeking support from a range of public services.

She said the hub in Rhymney had helped residents access food parcels, help with benefits payments and housing – as well as the usual book-borrowing library services – all under one roof.

Council deputy leader, Cllr Jamie Pritchard, also said the new-look Rhymney Library had seen an “exponential increase in footfall”.

Richard Edmunds, the council’s education and corporate services director, said the proposals for fewer libraries, and the development of hubs, would “better focus these resources” and offer an “opportunity to improve the services we currently offer”.

But a majority of respondents to the first consultation round said they disagreed with the council’s plans, and several Plaid Cymru opposition councillors have also criticised the proposals.

In comments to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Cllr Colin Mann said travel and access are “a big factor” and claimed the council “seems to ignore the value of having local services”.

“The whole thinking seems to concentrate on people who have access to their own private transport,” he added.

Cllr Teresa Parry questioned what would happen to residents “who have to travel, and the cost implications for a family having to use public transport when many bus routes have been cut or services greatly reduced”.

Cllr Gary Enright said he felt the potential closures were “a done deal already”.

“Libraries are a vital and irreplaceable part of a cultured society, and one of the very few places left where you do not have to pay to get in,” he added. “An open library is an open mind, a closed library is a closed mind.”

Caerphilly Council will launch its second round of consultation on January 22, lasting seven weeks.

It will also host a series of drop-in sessions, held at:

• Machen Library, Tuesday February 18, 4.30pm to 6.30pm;
• Online, Wednesday February 19, 2pm to 4pm;
• Nelson Library, Wednesday February 19, 4.30pm to 6.30pm;
• Aberbargoed Library, Thursday February 20, 10.30am to 12.30pm;
• Llanbradach Library, Friday February 21, 10am to midday;
• Deri Library, Monday March 3, 4.30pm to 6.30pm;
• Fleur de Lys Community Centre (for Pengam Library), Tuesday March 4, 2pm to 4pm;
• Bedwas Library, Tuesday March 4, 4.30pm to 6.30pm;
• Abercarn Library, Wednesday March 5, 4.30pm to 6.30pm;
• Abertridwr Library, Thursday March 6, 4.30pm to 6.30pm;
• Oakdale Library, Tuesday March 11, 4.30pm to 6.30pm;
• Online, Tuesday March 11, 11am to 1pm.