Unpopular library relocation plan approved

Unpopular plans to move a town's library into a theatre building have been approved.

Westmorland and Furness Council's cabinet has agreed to permanently close Ulverston Library in Cumbria and house the service in the nearby Coronation Hall.

Councillors were told moving the library into The Coro, as it is known locally, was the only feasible option, as repairing the original King’s Road building would cost too much.

Labour councillor Jackie Drake said she was "extremely disappointed" in the decision.

Drake said the original library was "very relevant" to the town.

"It's an extremely accessible space and it's the perfect space for the Ulverston community," she said.

"They’re two different services – there’s the library service, which is also the community hub, but then we have the Coronation Hall, which is a real theatre and an arts venue, and it is treasured as that."

Book lending was moved to The Coro after an electrical fault forced the closure of the original library.

Liberal Democrat council leader Jonathan Brook said there was now a need to ensure the viability of both the library and The Coro.

"We clearly need to work with the community and work doubly hard in the light of where we’ve got to, and I make that personal commitment," he said.

He added the council would work to remodel the building to address accessibility.

Ulverston Town Council leader Mark Wilson said the larger authority had "seized on this opportunity of a library closure to move through some changes that they thought would be better".

"But they didn’t discuss them with us," he said.

Plans to consult with the community about arts and cultural programming at The Coro were introduced at the meeting but were a "last-minute clause that we’ve not examined carefully", he added.

Virginia Taylor, the Lib Dem cabinet member for sustainable communities, said: "Instead of looking to close or cut library and cultural services like many other councils, we are looking for creative solutions to not only protect the library service but breathe new life into a much-loved community building."

Janice Lomas, who lives in Ulverston, said the library had become a focal point for the community, with many older people using it as a meeting place and a warm hub in the winter.

She said she did not believe the new arrangements would be able to accommodate that, or include the current dedicated children’s area.

"The Coronation Hall is not going to do that - the building is not suitable," she said.

"There’s people [who] don’t have a lot of money and they just want somewhere to go, and King’s Road was so accessible for them."

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