TWENTY libraries and 20 youth centres will close unless local communities can come to their rescue, under Oxfordshire County Council proposals to save £155 million by 2015.

The council has announced plans to stop funding 20 of Oxfordshire’s 43 libraries from next financial year to save £2 million over four years, while cuts to the youth service will save £4.2 million.

Branches of the library service in Summertown, Headington, Littlemore, Old Marston, Blackbird Leys, Neithrop in Banbury, Adderbury, Bampton, Benson, Berinsfield, Botley, Charlbury, Chinnor, Deddington, Grove, Kennington, North Leigh, Sonning Common, Stonesfield and Woodcote will all close, unless volunteers step forwards to run them.

Council leader Keith Mitchell said communities would be able to bid for council cash to help them run their libraries.

Meanwhile seven “hubs” will become the centres of a re-structured youth service to tackle school exclusion, teenage pregnancy, drug use, anti-social behaviour and unemployment.

They will be at two centres in Oxford, plus Banbury, Bicester Courtyard, Witney Young People’s Centre, Abingdon Net, and Didcot Vibe.

Some youth activity will also continue at Rose Hill, Barton, Blackbird Leys, Kidlington, Berinsfield and Donnington Bridge’s Riverside Centre.

But the council said funding and staffing at Headington’s Saxon Centre, Cutteslowe, Wolvercote, Wheatley, Bampton, Standlake, Chipping Norton, Carterton, Chalgrove, Wantage, Wallingford, Chiltern Edge, Thame, Burford, Faringdon, Henley, Cholsey, Chinnor and Watlington would have to be found from local communities if they were to remain open.

Mr Mitchell said: “We have agonised over these proposals and I am sure we will agonise some more as our budget position changes when more information on exact funding details is received from Whitehall.

“We are keen to hear from any communities who would wish to take on facilities that are proposed to have their council funding streams stopped in line with the Government’s ambitions for a Big Society with people deciding for themselves what services they would like to support in their locality.”

He said all proposals were subject to change when the council learns its budget settlement in detail from the Government.