South Tyneside Council backs down on changes to The Word in South Shields

Due to feedback from local residents and stakeholders, alongside additional Government funding, South Tyneside Council has announced that it will be revise two elements of its draft Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP) proposals for 2026/27.

It means that the local authority is now able to retain the current opening hours across all libraries and will continue to directly manage Shop @ The Word for the year ahead.

Due to budget pressures for 2026/27, South Tyneside Council had proposed to reduce the opening hours at The Word - including closing the venue on a Sunday.

The proposals also cast uncertainty on the future of the shop, which stocks items from local vendors.

The changes were proposed as part of the council’s upcoming 2026/27 budget outlined in the medium-term financial plan (MTFP), which includes £11.8 million of proposed savings, along with a 4.95 per cent proposed increase in council tax to fund council services.

Changes to the proposals accounts for around £150,000 within an overall savings requirement of £11.8m in the 2026/27 financial year.

Speaking after revisions to the MTFP, Cllr Tracey Dixon, Leader of South Tyneside Council, said: “Setting a balanced budget is one of the most challenging tasks we face each year.

“We do not take any decision lightly and put people at the heart of what we do.

“We have listened carefully to what residents told us, particularly around the value they place on our libraries and The Word.

“Given the additional funding we have secured through sustained lobbying, we are able to adjust these specific proposals. However, it does not alter the scale of challenges facing local government.

“The wider financial picture remains extremely difficult, and we have a duty to protect vital statutory services.”

South Tyneside Council faced widespread backlash over the proposed changes at The Word, with a local writing group stating that it’s future “would be in doubt” if the venue was closed on a Sunday.

More than 1,600 backed a petition to stop the Shop @ The Word from closing and Emma Lewell, South Shields MP, also voiced her concerns at the proposals.

South Tyneside Council has stated that aside from the two amended proposals, all other measures set out in the MTFP remain unchanged and will be considered by Borough Council at the end of the month.

Among these measures are plans to introduce ticket prices for the popular Sunday Concerts, which are held annually in South Shields’ Bents Park.

In order to balance the budget, the Council must still deliver just over £11.6 million of savings in 2026/27 - with the local authority setting about achieving this through targeted efficiencies, service redesigns and income generation.

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Cllr Dixon has highlighted that while the additional funding has helped make revisions to some of the MTFP, there needs to be more support for longer-term issues.

She added: “The reality is that councils across the country are facing intense pressures.

“One-off improvements to Government funding do not resolve the longer-term issues, but they can help us make targeted adjustments where residents have told us it matters most.

“We will continue to lobby for a fairer and more sustainable funding system that reflects the needs of communities like ours.”

South Tyneside Council has confirmed that it will now update the draft MTFP and publish the revised version ahead of the full Council meeting on Thursday, February 26.

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