Church Stretton library to remain in town centre
A rural library which has faced years of uncertainty looks set to remain in its current town centre location.
Shropshire Council is working with community partners in Church Stretton to ensure a sustainable future for the town's library and visitor information service.
The library was the focus of a fierce campaign from 2015 to 2016 opposing a council plan to move it into the town's primary school.
The dispute was scheduled to be settled in the High Court in April but Shropshire Council withdrew its case ahead of the hearing, leaving the library to remain at its Church Street base.
In 2017 it put out a new tender and stipulated that the library did not have to be based in the current location but did have to be delivered within Church Stretton.
A number of options were put forward but none were viable.
Lezley Picton, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for culture and leisure, said: “The last few years have seen much uncertainty surrounding Church Stretton Library so it’s great that we can now put all that behind us and start afresh. As with all Shropshire Council services, library service budgets remain under pressure but we know from experiences with other libraries across the county that creative and cost-effective ways forward can be found.”
New talks have opened about developing the current services with the town council and Church Stretton Library Support Group.
Sheila Davies from the support group said there are plans to to form a Friends of Church Stretton Library charity to raise necessary funds.
She added: “It is wonderful news that the library and visitor information centre, both important community resources, will be retained in the town centre. This follows four years of uncertainty.
"Although none of the earlier proposals for the library were considered to be viable, much of the community feedback received will be useful in informing the new discussions over the coming weeks.
"These are likely to focus on how the library and visitor services are funded, whether the existing opening hours suit what is required, and how the community can be more involved in the services that are offered."
