Protest held against sale of former library

Dozens of people have attended a demonstration against the decision to sell off a former public library in Leeds.

Around 70 protesters rallied outside the old Cross Gates library building, on Farm Road, on Saturday.

The city council has put the site up for sale, citing its dire financial position.

The building has stood empty for nearly two years, since the library moved to Cross Gates Shopping Centre.

The move was intended to be temporary, to allow for refurbishment of the original location.

But that plan never came to fruition, with the council saying a revamp proved too costly.

Local resident Helen Lucy, who spoke at Saturday's demonstration, said campaigners were "angry" about the prospect of losing the building.

"We are sympathetic to the desperate state of the council's finances, but there are always choices," Mrs Lucy said.

"It’s the last publicly owned community asset in Cross Gates and once it’s gone, it’s gone.

"People need a community facility so they can socialise in a civilised way. They can’t do that at the moment because it’s not there for them."

Mrs Lucy said the new library in the shopping centre was "wholly inadequate" to host all the services the old facility used to provide.

The council said the new library had had positive feedback, but that it was looking at ways to "enhance its offering".

A spokesperson for the local authority added: "Given our financial position, it is necessary for us to review our entire estate in order to reduce our costs.

"Since the library building was closed it has become the target for anti-social behaviour and has been subject to extensive damage.

"Buildings which are vacant must be prioritised given the impact that such properties have on local communities and the costs involved in holding buildings vacant."

Follow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].