Dickens Heath, Hobs Moat and Balsall Common libraries get card-and-PIN access outside staffed hours from winter. Current hours, and how to have your say.

Three Solihull libraries will let members in when nobody is on the desk. Solihull Council says Dickens Heath, Hobs Moat and Balsall Common libraries will get Open Plus technology, which lets registered members enter with a library card and a PIN outside staffed opening hours. (Solihull Council, 26 August 2026)

The kit will be installed between winter 2026 and spring 2027. Go-live dates for each branch have not been set. The council says the project is grant funded by the West Midlands Combined Authority. (Open Plus, Solihull Council)

Why it matters most at Dickens Heath

The three branches picked are not the borough’s busiest, and that is rather the point. All three are shut on Wednesdays. All three close for an hour at lunchtime on the days they open both morning and afternoon.

Dickens Heath is the tightest of the lot. On the council’s own published timetable it is staffed for 16 hours a week, spread over four days, and is closed on both Wednesdays and Fridays. It does not open before 2pm on a Monday or a Tuesday. (Dickens Heath Library, Solihull Council)

Balsall Common is staffed 25 hours a week and Hobs Moat 28. (Balsall Common Library; Hobs Moat Library)

Staffed opening hours a week at the three Solihull libraries getting Open Plus Horizontal bar chart. Hobs Moat 28 hours a week, closed Wednesday and Sunday. Balsall Common 25 hours a week, closed Wednesday and Sunday. Dickens Heath 16 hours a week, closed Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. Source: Solihull Council library pages, checked 28 August 2026. Staffed hours a week at the three Open Plus libraries Council-published opening times, checked 28 August 2026. All three close 1pm to 2pm on full days. Hobs Moat 28 hours Closed Wednesday and Sunday Balsall Common 25 hours Closed Wednesday and Sunday Dickens Heath 16 hours Closed Wednesday, Friday and Sunday Source: Solihull Council library pages for Hobs Moat, Balsall Common and Dickens Heath Graphic by The Solihull Post
Staffed opening hours a week at the three branches getting Open Plus.

Open Plus does not change any of those staffed hours. The council is explicit that the technology is additional, and that anyone who prefers to visit when staff are on site can carry on doing exactly that.

What you can do during Open Plus hours

The council has published the list of what will and will not work when the building is unstaffed. During Open Plus hours members will be able to:

  • borrow and return library items
  • collect reservations
  • use the public computers
  • use the Wi-Fi
  • print, where printing is available
  • read, study and work in the library
  • use the self-service facilities
  • host or join workshops, activities and other events not organised by the library

Access is limited to registered library members who have completed a registration and an induction. Entry is by library card and PIN, with security systems and CCTV monitoring the building. (Open Plus, Solihull Council)

What the council says

Cllr Wazma Qais, Solihull Council’s cabinet member for communities, said Open Plus “will extend opening hours and give people choice of how and when they use their local library, fitting visits in around work, school, families and other commitments”.

She added: “This increased access to the library will be in addition to the regular opening hours and anyone who prefers to visit when the library is staffed can continue to do so.” (Solihull Council, 26 August 2026)

What it means for you

If you use Dickens Heath, Hobs Moat or Balsall Common, nothing changes yet. The three things worth doing now:

  • Have your say while it is still being designed. The council is running a survey on how people use libraries and what workshops, activities and events they would want during Open Plus hours. It is on the Open Plus page at Your Voice Solihull, which also carries the council’s FAQs. No closing date has been published for the survey, so it is worth responding sooner rather than later.
  • Subscribe for the go-live dates. The same page has a subscribe button. Each branch will get its own launch announcement, and the induction requirement means you cannot simply turn up on day one and expect the door to open.
  • Check you are actually a member. Open Plus is for registered members only. If your card has lapsed, sorting that out during staffed hours is the prerequisite for everything else.

The other 11 Solihull libraries are not part of this scheme. The council lists 14 branches across the borough, from The Core in the town centre to the neighbourhood library at Smith’s Wood. (Find a library, Solihull Council)

More Solihull local information: bin collection days, council tax bands and parking in Solihull.