The future of Barnet’s library service remains in the balance after councillors voted to refer the matter to full council.

Three options have been laid out to help save £2.85million, which include closing libraries, reducing their size, leaving them unstaffed and making greater use of volunteers.

The children, education, libraries and safeguarding committee discussed the proposals at Hendon Town Hall last night, which will help contribute to the committee's overall £8million of savings.

Although no final decisions would have been made, it was recommended that the committee agreed the three proposals, which would have been put out to public consultation.

Conservative councillor Daniel Thomas said the options involved having to choose “quality versus quantity”.

He said: “The reality of the situation is a huge budget reduction. There will be meetings like this through the country. We are trying to do the best we can with the budget available. We are trying to have a grown up conversation with the public. The committee has to make the savings.”

Conservative councillor Helena Hart said that the three options were unacceptable on their own.

Cllr Hart put forward an amendment to add the option for a “mix and match” between the three proposals, which was passed. This will go forward as part of the report to full council.

Labour Councillor Ammar Naqvi said: “Reducing the staff hours seems to make it not a library, but just a building with books in.”

Discussing poverty in the borough, he added: “If you don’t think cutting services will have an impact on that, you are not paying close enough attention.”

Labour Councillor Anne Hutton also questioned how workable the proposals were.

The matter was referred to full council after the four Labour councillors voted to do so.

It has not been decided which full council meeting the matter will go to.