Community wants to take over library following threatened closure by Rutland Council
A community whose library building is under threat, says it wants to take over the running of the building to secure its future.
Ryhall villagers were blindsided this month after news broke that its popular library could face closure due to expensive repair works, which Rutland County Council says it cannot afford.
Other libraries that have been under threat have been taken over by communities and this is an option the parish council and recently assembled campaign group want to explore.
Parish councillor Andrew Nebel said: "We absolutely intend to keep the building. That is the wish of the parish council and of the community.
"We have now applied to have the library listed as an asset of community value.
"The most workable option is for the library to become community managed – the formula for which is well established. The detail would need to be agreed with Rutland County Council.
"Ryhall Parish Council is committed to keeping the building and wishes to explore every way to work in concert with the county council to ensure there is a viable way forward."
A report attached to the draft council budget for the coming 2025/26 financial year, discussed by the council's Liberal Democrat cabinet last week, has the preferred option for Ryhall library as closure of the building. The budget has now gone out to public consultation and a final decision will be made by the full council next month.
The campaigners have been told by cabinet member Cllr Christine Wise (Lib Dem – Uppingham) to put forward 'innovative ideas', but it is currently unclear which library services the county council intends to offer to the community.
Three other libraries at Oakham, Uppingham and Ketton will be renovated leaving Ryhall the only library in Rutland unlikely to benefit from an upgrade. The authority had set aside £70,000 to improve Ryhall Library but says a survey suggested nearer £250,000 was needed.
The authority has not started any talks with the campaigners, although a spokesperson told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that a start date for a consultation specific to the library will be announced this week.
Elsewhere in the area, councils have handed over the buildings to a community group, which then take on the financial management.
The way the matter has been handled so far has upset residents.
Volunteer Val Lofthouse, a library user for four decades, said: "The library is part of village life. It has given a lot of support to people over many years at difficult times in their lives."
Charlotte Davis set up Warm Welcome Ryhall in 2022, and it runs in the library three afternoons a week, when the traditional library services are closed. Friday afternoons are especially busy.
She said: "For some of these folk our sessions may be the only time they see anybody during the week. When one member found out about the possible closure he sobbed."
Friends Frances Wing and Ann Bland travel from Northborough each week.
Ann said: "It is just so friendly and you don't get many places like this. It is a very noisy library and we laugh so much."
The library has a librarian three days per week, but Charlotte says that it has not benefitted from services other Rutland libraries received, such as the summer reading schemes.
She said: "It feels as if we have been left to rot. We have been forgotten."
New oakham Jobs Section Launched!!
Vacancies updated hourly!!
Click here: oakham jobs
Share:
