Conservative County Councillors have vote through a proposal to outsource the management of Hertfordshire’s libraries. The plan is that they should be taken over by a charity set up for the purpose, but the contract could be won by another bidder.

The plan assumes that £500,000 a year can be saved by avoiding paying business rates if the libraries are run by a charity.

If the plan goes ahead libraries would be run by a board of trustees rather than by county councillors elected by local people.