'They are not just going to take away our library – they are damaging our community.' 

That was the message last night (Jan 13) as Ryhall residents attended an emergency parish council meeting to try and come up with some ways to save their village library, following a shock discovery last week that Rutland County Council is recommending the venue is closed. 

Rather than revamp it as promised earlier this summer, the financially under pressure authority is instead intending to shut it down and the authority's Liberal Democrat cabinet could put the nail in the coffin at its cabinet meeting this morning as part of budget proposals for the coming financial year. The final budget will be signed off by the full council at the end of next month, but it is unlikely if the cabinet decides to close the library, that the wider council would overturn the decision. 



Locals have spoken out about their displeasure over the potential closure of Ryhall Library (Photo: LDRS)

At the meeting, which was held at the village's methodist church in Crown Street, the parish council resolved to write to the cabinet asking it to not choose the closure option and instead run a community consultation looking at the options to retain the library. 

The parish council would also like to open talks with the county authority about the possibility of taking the library over and running it as a community venture.  

Parish councillor Andrew Nebel said the council's leader Councillor Gale Waller had not dismissed the idea of the parish taking over the library, although he feared the council could 'steamroll' the closure decision through today. 

He said the authority had made a big announcement last year about spending £950,000 on a new living well scheme which would set up community hubs in libraries, but had done a u-turn and cut Ryhall out of the plans. 

He said: "They are saying we don't deserve a community hub. Ryhall is being robbed once again to pay for Oakham, as always." 

He said the parish council was now following the money and would seek to establish what has happened to the cash that had been set aside for Ryhall. He also said an option, if the authority went ahead with closure was to take the decision to a judicial review. This is where a high court judge considers whether an authority has taken a decision correctly. 

He said: "It is down to us to persuade them not to vote for closure. But I am afraid the dye may have been cast." 

About 30 people turned up to the meeting, with young and old present, as well as a number of volunteers who run the library on certain days throughout the week. 

One woman said: "'They are not just going to take away our library – they are damaging our community.' 

Another said: "This decision has been made by an accountant. They are robbing Peter to pay Paul." 

The county councillors who represent the village Councillor Kevin Corby (independent) and Councillor David Wilby (Cons) also attended the meeting. 

Councillor Corby said not a lot of information had been provided by the authority and he and Councillor Wilby were trying to get answers about what maintenance the authority has carried out on the 1970s library over the past five years. 

The papers that will go to the cabinet tomorrow say that instead of the budgeted £70,000 set aside for repairs to the library, the cost is more likely to be £250,000. Cllr Corby said 'it is very difficult to see how those costs have come about' but 'as usual' the authority was stating data protection and commercial confidentiality in order to not give out the information. 

Cllr Wilby said the situation had got the villagers 'hackles up' and said 'all is not lost'. 

Since last week an action group to save the library has quickly been assembled, gathering around 1,400 signatures on a petition against the closure. Campaigners will protest outside the council's headquarters at Catmose House, Oakham this morning from 9.30am. The meeting will begin at 10am.