THE Jobcentre Plus in Easemore Road is set to move into Redditch Library in a bid to cut costs and hit county council savings targets.
Council chiefs say a reduction in premises costs and the generation of rental income will help ensure the future of the library service.
The move follows similar schemes in Worcester, Bromsgrove and Malvern where national government agencies have moved into local authority buildings.
It is anticipated that the Jobcentre Plus would occupy 426m² on the first and second floors while library floor space would shrink from 905m² to 781m², however the county’s leisure services say they do not expect a reduction in the provision of core library services.
Meanwhile a new meeting room would be provided on the ground floor while an existing meeting room on the first floor would move to the second floor with the result that there would be four publicly accessible meeting rooms available.
The move also raises the possibility of other agencies following suit – in Malvern the library plays host not just to the Job Centre but a cafe and council help point.
Redditch borough council has raised no objections and the measure, to be considered by the county council’s Planning and Regulatory Committee at County Hall on Tuesday, December 6, 2016, at 10am, is recommended for approval.
