The doors of Ryhall's existing library should be shut and the service moved to another location, the county council is recommending. 

Villagers say they feel blindsided by the recommendation which has appeared on Rutland County Council paperwork today without any heads up or correspondence with the parish council. 

The authority first signalled in January it was looking to close the library due to high costs for repairs. Since then, campaigners have been fighting to save it, forming an action group and looking at ways they could take over the building, which, as well as providing library services, is the regular meeting place for a much-loved social group. 



Campaigners have been fighting to save Ryhall Library since January (Photo: LDRS)

After the initial closure option appeared on budget papers, the authority has repeatedly said no decision has yet been made and recently the cabinet member with responsibility for libraries, Coun Christine Wise (Lib Dem) said 'very late in the day a pot of money had been found', suggesting that the library would remain. 

A public consultation finished in March and the authority had said the Liberal Democrat led cabinet would make a decision in April, but then issued a statement to say it would be delayed. 

Now a request has gone into the scrutiny committee to consider the 'recommendation to relocate Ryhall library service from existing building due to costs of repair required'. 

It also says that 'scrutiny may wish to receive a list of suitable, costed alternative venues from the local community/parish council'.  

Councillor Kevin Corby has supported the effort to protect Ryhall Library (Photo: LDRS)

County councillor for the area Kevin Corby (Ind), who is also on the parish council, said he is very disappointed with how the authority has handled the matter, as he and many others have been 'kept in the dark'. 

He said: "It is a poor situation where a parish council, which is part of local government, is excluded from discussions with the county council. We are still awaiting a meeting to discuss the results of the public consultation, but we are hearing nothing. Even just to have a timeline would be helpful. 

"Let's discuss it, we want to talk about a community managed library, but we are not being given the opportunity. 

"I am not sure what they have got in mind for an alternative venue. Nobody has been in touch with the parish council to cost out alternative venues. There is nothing else in the village that would suit." 

The authority had set aside £70,000 had been set aside for repairs at Ryhall Library but says it will cost nearer to £230,000 to do what is needed. The arts council had given the authority a grant based on repairs to four libraries in the county, including Ryhall. The parish council disagrees on the repair figure and argues the amount would be considerably less than the county authority is saying. 

Ryhall parish councillor Andrew Nebel said: "As a statutory body representing the parish community, we had hoped our detailed submission which effectively disputed the financial assumptions advanced by the county council to support its recommendation to close the library building would have led to a constructive and collaborative outreach so we could work together to maintain this much used and valued community asset. That this hasn't happened and decisions are now being asked of the scrutiny committee about the library's future without the community having been engaged is a seriously missed opportunity. 

 "The modest amount of money needed to remedy minor works caused by delayed routine maintenance during covid are eminently affordable, particularly given the existence of this substantial grant, the available section 106/CIL funds and the possibility of minor drawings on the substantial reserves held by the county".   

The parish council has also had a request to make the library an asset of community value turned down. 

Cllr Wise said the latest council report had to say something for scrutiny to consider and she had not been aware of the exact wording of the proposal, as she had been unavailable. She said the wording had been decided by the council's living well executive board and due to the timing of the board meeting and then the publishing of the agenda, there had not been the opportunity, with the bank holiday, to inform the parish council. 

Scrutiny can decide not to take the referral to consider the matter, as it did with a number of other requests recently due to work capacity. 

Cllr Wise said: "That is the recommendation that scrutiny will look at and scrutiny can recommend that it isn't what is taken forward. We have to give them something to look at." 

The cabinet, which is led by leader Gale Waller, will make the final decision about Ryhall Library's future. 

A council spokesperson said: "The request being made to overview and scrutiny on Thursday 1 May asks committee members to review the outcome of public consultation on Ryhall Library service, as well as possible options for continuing to deliver the service at a different site within the locality, owing to repair costs. 

"If scrutiny agree to this request, a date will be set for the committee to receive and consider a full report. Rutland County Council is planning to meet with ward members and Ryhall Parish Council to hold further discussions before any report to scrutiny."