COUNCIL bosses have no immediate plans to axe staff ahead of a review of the borough’s libraries.

The reassurance has been given amid claims by one councillor that the issue is being used as a “political football” .

The borough’s library service is to be reviewed during 2012-13 under the council’s Plan for Change initiative which involves identifying total savings of £17.7 million by 2015.

At last Wednesday’s full council meeting, Cllr Joanne Columbine asked if confirmation could be given that there were no imminent plans to implement job losses among library staff.

Cllr Jane Lewis, executive member for leisure, tourism and culture, said: “As far as any imminent redundancies are concerned, we have no plans, no numbers or identified any individuals among library staff.” She stressed that the local authority had been “open and transparent” throughout the Plan for Change programme to its staff, both in writing and at staff roadshows. Cllr Lewis added: “Members know that the library service is to be reviewed during 2012-13 and all staff will be fully involved at each stage of the process, which should be allowed to be conducted without it being used as a political football.”