28th January 2011

ILMINSTER: Ray of hope for Ilminster Library

By Marion Draper

AS ILMINSTER was poised to do serious battle to save its library from closure, it seemed there may have been a reprieve, although the petition is still running and the signs are staying up for now.

Somerset County Council announced on Tuesday that they have a new proposal to put before their committee next month, which means that nine libraries previously marked for closure could now be saved, including Ilminster and Martock.

A year’s grace has been proposed for a further five threatened libraries, including South Petherton, to help communities gear up to take them over.

These proposals save all libraries in major towns but the planned £1.35m saving would still be achieved with reductions in opening hours proposed across all libraries in Somerset, leaving the staff with an uncertain future. Library users may also be asked for voluntary contributions to help fund the service.

Council Leader Ken Maddock said: “We have listened to what people said and put our residents’ views at the heart of our decision making. We carried out a hugely effective public consultation and the overwhelming message was that people understood the savings needed but wanted us to spread the cuts more evenly - that’s what we’re looking to do.”

Comprehensive consultations carried out by the county council saw around 1,000 people attend face-to-face meetings, around 10,000 responses to feedback forms and hundreds of letters and emails to council members.

Cabinet member for community, Christine Lawrence said: “People understood the need to make savings, but thought the greatest impact would be felt in rural areas. They wanted to see the savings shared out among all libraries, including those in the biggest towns.”

The new proposal now goes to councillors early next month for discussion before the major budget setting full council on Wednesday, February 16th, when the final decision will be made.

The announcement by Somerset County Council that it has revised its proposals for the closure of libraries prompted a comment from district councillor Paull Robathan who has been campaigning to save South Petherton library from closure.

He said: “The Library Service has proposed that South Petherton Library stay open for a year so that the community can plan to take it over in 2012.

“That’s a welcome reprieve, but not as good as other libraries that are to remain open. We need to start planning right now how to fund and manage our own library, and I will be putting forward proposals to the Parish Council in the next few weeks.”

Protestors will be holding a ‘read-in’ at the library at 11am - 1pm on Saturday February 5th. Posters will go up everywhere by this weekend.