Fight to save town library gets £150,000 war chest
SUTTON Coldfield’s new council has set aside a £150,000 fighting fund to save the town centre library from closure.
The Royal Town’s council will now negotiate with Birmingham City Council, which runs the library service, over a rescue plan.
Birmingham’s library chiefs have earmarked Sutton Coldfield Town Centre Library, along with Aston Library, for closure as part of a major cost-cutting measure designed to save £1.95 million.
Now the town council has put up £150,000 from its unallocated budget towards a rescue plan and appointed three Conservative councillors to lead talks with city library chiefs.
Ewan Mackey, who represents the Sutton Trinity ward on both the city and town councils, said: “I think that we now have a real chance, not just to save our library, but to ensure that it has a long-term future.
“The town council is willing to allocate some funding towards the project but the Labour city council must work with us to formulate a workable plan. We have seen political games being played within the town and city council over this issue recently. Now is the time to come together and get a deal that secures our library for future generations.”
The motion proposing the £150,000 had been tabled by independent councillor Liz Parry and amended by the dominant Conservatives to appoint the three council- lors to lead talks.
Labour councillor Rob Pocock (Sutton Vesey) welcomed the motion, saying: “It’s great that the whole of Sutton Town Council is united to put £150,000 on the table to help save Library.”
Zoe Toft, spokeswoman for the Library Lobby campaign group, said: “I’m very pleased that the town Sutton council has shown that – by voting to commit a substantial amount of funds – they are truly committed to a town centre library.” “This does not mean, however, that our library is saved. The Library Lobby will be submitting a proposal drawing on all the input we have received from members of the public about facilities they’d like to see in an enhanced library, a proposal we believe is not only viable now that the town council money is on the table, but also very exciting and imaginative.” The Sutton Coldfield branch costs £579,000 a year to run. The Mere Green Library, the town’s other major branch, costs £166,000 per year. The council has put the cost of keeping a library service in the town centre at £360,000. Further savings could be made if they could let unused floors in the building. Campaigners are also believed to be seeking alternative, cheaper town centre locations for the library.