Bamber Bridge and Fulwood libraries are threatened with closure

Prestonians are being urged to tell politicians their views on closing childrens centres and libraries in Preston and South Ribble.

Libraries in Fulwood, Bamber Bridge, Lostock Hall and Penwortham could all be closed by the end of the year.

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A map released by Lancashire County Council shows which buildings it is to continue operating while a number of others are to close which it says will save it millions of pounds a year.

Green dots show buildings which are to remain open, red means the building will close

The county council has issued an open call to any groups who may want to take on responsibility for any council-owned buildings and continue their use for the community.

County Councillor Jenny Mein, leader of Lancashire County Council, said: “The aim of the property strategy is to ensure we have the buildings we need to provide good access to good services, but within a much reduced budget.

“The severity of the county council’s financial position cannot be overstated, and the ongoing cuts in central government funding combined with rising demand for some of our services means we have no choice but to make changes to the way we serve communities throughout Lancashire.

“Whilst people can have a strong connection to individual buildings, our focus has to be on how we deliver our services effectively. These proposals mean some services will have to be further away than they are now, but people will still have good access to them.

“These proposals are the result of a lot of hard work to assess where services should be located, taking account of factors such as geographic spread, the needs of different communities, and access issues such as how easily they can be reached using public transport.

“The consultation is now open and we would very much welcome people’s views and help in shaping the final proposals. As part of this process we’re asking people to complete a questionnaire which will help us to fully understand how buildings are currently used and the impact of the changes we are proposing to make.

“While we need to make sure our buildings fit the shape of our future services, nothing has been decided and we’ll be listening very carefully to what people have to say.”

Read more: Preston Youth Zone chief defends amended building design

A consultation on the proposed closures is running until Sunday 14 August and you can give your views via the county council website.

Will you be responding to the consultation? Do you live near one of the under-threat buildings? Let us know your views in the comments below