Legal move over library switch

The 140 members of the Church Stretton Library Support Group have agreed to push ahead with legal action against the authority, questioning the process behind a decision to close the current town centre building and run the library service from Church Stretton School instead.

In March Councillor Steve Charmley, Shropshire Council's cabinet member for culture and commissioning, rubber-stamped the closure of the building in Church Street to move the service out of the town centre to the school in Shrewsbury Road, despite widespread public opposition.

That was followed by a formal request from Shropshire councillors Heather Kidd, Roger Evans and Charlotte Barnes to "call in" the decision for scrutiny, after library campaigners called the decision-making process "undemocratic". But the fresh review was refused by Shropshire Council's scrutiny committee.

But now the campaign group has the backing of 140 town residents to pursue legal action in an attempt to get the decision reversed. A vote was taken at a meeting in Church Stretton on Thursday and the decision was unanimous.

Felicity Thomas, for Church Stretton Library Support Group, said: "The very clear message was that we should start legal proceedings and we will now do that. We have tried everything else we can think of including putting forward a community-run library option and requesting a call-in of the decision, so that the move to the school could be thoroughly scrutinised.

"All our suggestions have been rejected. The 82 per cent of those replying to the consultation who wanted the library to stay where it is have also had their wishes rejected. This leaves us no alternative but to take legal action."

Shropshire Council was approached for comment but had failed to respond by the time we went to press.