Libraries across Devon, including those in Torquay, have secured their future following a unanimous decision by Devon County Council to approve a £2 million investment package on 20 May 2026.
The funding, which doubles a previously planned £1 million bid, is set to protect, strengthen, and modernise the county’s network of 50 libraries. This decision follows an extensive public consultation that received more than 25,000 responses, revealing that residents strongly value their local library services and the staff who manage them.
The investment package consists of a £1 million transformation fund, an extra £100,000 to purchase new books and digital resources, and a further £1 million sourced from an underspend in the previous financial year. The council has confirmed that existing staffed opening hours will be maintained across the network, which sees more than 2.6 million visits annually.
In addition to securing current service levels, the funding will support several changes starting later this year. From October 2026, overdue fines will be removed to help improve access for all residents. The council also intends to expand technology that allows for longer opening hours and will explore how volunteers might support professional staff, following interest from approximately 6,000 people during the consultation process.
Libraries Unlimited, the independent charity that manages library services in Devon and Torbay, welcomed the announcement. The charity has been responsible for operating the public library service in these areas since 2016.
About this article: This story was put together with the help of AI tools and checked by a real person on our team. We're a small crew trying to cover as much of the UK as we can on a limited budget. We're getting better every day - but we're not perfect yet. If something looks off, let us know. You're part of the process.
