Over half the stops on Conwy’s mobile library rounds are set to be dropped.

Members of the economy and place scrutiny committee meeting recommended amalgamation of mobile and home library services to the council’s cabinet.

As part of the changes it was agreed  that the mobile library service should be concentrated in communities that are a distance from library buildings and have limited public transport routes.

The mobile library brings books, audio books and information to communities throughout Conwy.

The home library visits  provide books and other services to residents who, due to age or infirmity, are unable to access a library directly or use the mobile library.

It visits customers in their own homes every four weeks and  offers access to the complete range of Conwy library stock. In November 2018 there were 141 customers.

People currently receiving the housebound service will continue to receive it, but new applicants for the service will be asked if they have alternative ways to access library services, such as getting the assistance of family members.

In a review of services, which included a public consultation, officers have proposed that 68 of the mobile service’s 120 stops will cease in the future.

A report to members of the committee said that despite increasing the number of stops in 2013, visits to the mobile library have remained fairly constant over the past five years, with 6,338 visits in 2017/18.

It said: “Some stops have only one or no regular customers. Annual book loans in 2017/18 were 20,180 – a 17 per cent decrease over five years. The mobile library vehicle is now 13 years old, is uneconomic to run and needs replacing.”

The cost of providing the mobile library service in 2017/18 was £36,240, or

£5.72 per visit, compared with the net cost of £2.41 per visit across Conwy’s libraries.

The plans will see communities and schools that are more than three miles from a library building continue to get the mobile service.

Glyn county councillor, Chris Hughes, argued that changes to council services were disproportionately hitting vulnerable people.

He said: “It is of concern to me that an awful lot of decisions made in recent times impact on the same demographic.

“For example, we recently introduced charging for green waste but the people who are elderly who perhaps don’t always drive won’t have the option of driving to Mochdre and delivering their garden waste. They will be forced to pay.

“With this service, when we look at the demographics, most respondents were female, 49 per cent of users are over the age of 75, when they are less likely to have their own transport to make it to libraries.”

Following the approval of the amalgamation option the future of the service will be decided by the council’s cabinet.