MORE than 75 per cent of Basingstoke and Deane residents do not have a library within a 15-minute walk, new figures show.

The data, published by the Office for National Statistics on October 17, explored access to local amenities across England and Wales, including libraries.

The figures show that just 24% of residents have a library within a 15-minute walk of their home.

READ MORE: Three decades of wait ends: Manydown deal sealed, paving way for thousands of homes

However, 57% were within half an hour of a library, and 88% of residents could reach one within an hour's walk.

The figures also show the borough had seven open libraries as of August or one for every 27,200 people in the area.

In Hampshire, there was a total of 53 operating libraries in 2019, which dropped to a total of 40 in 2023, according to figures from the BBC's shared data unit.

A spokesperson for Hampshire County Council previously told the Gazette that the closures were to 'create a more efficient and affordable library service' in response to 'reductions in national Government funding'.

They added: "We continue to operate a sizeable service consisting of 40 public library branches which are available for residents to visit, and we also provide a growing digital library service, which is increasingly popular.”