After six months of uncertainty Rutland County Council's chamber was told that Ryhall Library will remain open. 

The authority announced the decision late last month and at the full council meeting on Thursday (10th July), cabinet member for communities Cllr Christine Wise (Lib Dem) made the commitment in the council headquarters. 

The library in Coppice Road came under threat in January when the council stated on budget papers that closure may be an option, despite a commitment just months before to upgrade the facilities. 

The Ryhall Library Action Group stood against the council's suggestion to close Ryhall Library (Photo: LDRS)

The community mounted a campaign to save it and on Thursday Cllr Wise put on record the decision to keep the library open. 

She said: "I can confirm that Rutland County Council will continue to operate Ryhall Library service in its current form from its existing premises. This follows careful consideration of a range of alternative options. It has always been our intention to maintain library services in the east of the county. The question we've been wrestling is how best to do this." 

She said Arts Council funding awarded to do the upgrade work (Ryhall was one of four libraries awarded £359,000 for improvements) was not enough to do the extensive repairs found to be necessary, and instead this money would be used to upgrade equipment. 

Cllr Wise said: "Having weighed all the factors and with no alternative venues immediately available to support a move of the library service, we have concluded that a prolonged process to relocate the library service and then dispose of the building would not be in the interests of library users." 

She did say however that if the building falls into serious disrepair, the council may need to look at alternatives once more. 

There is a process underway to register the building as a community asset, which means it would have extra protection. The parish council and residents are now looking at ways to safeguard the future of the library, which may involve taking it over as a community run library.