Decision to move library upheld despite doubts

A decision to relocate a town's library has been upheld despite a consultation into the plans being labelled unfair and not "transparent".

Members of Westmorland and Furness Council's cabinet have backed the decision to move Ulverston library's service from King’s Road to Coronation Hall, at a meeting on Tuesday.

It comes after the scrutiny committee had asked the authority to reconsider its decision due to concerns over the consultation.

The Liberal Democrat council leader Jonathan Brook told the council took the conclusions of the scrutiny committee "seriously", but he was satisfied the consultation had been "fair and transparent".

Speaking after the meeting, Labour councillor Andy Coles, who had called for the decision to be reviewed, said the cabinet had "ridden roughshod over the concerns of the community".

But Brook said that to live "within its means" the council had to make "difficult decisions" on the use of the public's money.

He added: "Such decisions clearly won’t always be popular, and on any decision, there are different perspectives."

The council had said the move was necessary after the King's Road building was found to be "surplus to needs."

But Labour MP Michelle Scrogham later said GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) had committed to "fully fund" work to the library.

Brook told the cabinet the authority was seeking clarity about the £2m donation from GSK and would continue to request formal confirmation of it and any conditions attached to it, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

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