Congresbury pupils oppose library closure

Students at a Congresbury primary school have launched a petition against proposals to close the village library.

A group of seven students at St Andrew's Primary School set up the petition after hearing that cash strapped North Somerset Council was planning to close the library at Station Road to save money.

The petition has been a hit amongst students and has already collected 168 signatures and the youngsters are now asking their friends and families to take the petitions and distribute them around the village.

The students have also designed and put up posters in shops around the village asking people to support their campaign.

They plan to hand over the petition to authority leaders next month to press them to have a change of heart about the library closure plans.

The pupils have also been preparing a speech to make to councillors when they hand over the petition.

Plans were announced earlier this month to close Congresbury, Backwell and Banwell libraries as part of cost cutting measures.

The authority, which has 14 libraries and two mobile libraries, currently spends £2.6 million on library services each year and the cuts will save £30,000 from council coffers.

The council's powerful executive rubber stamped the decision and the recommendation will now go before the authority's community services policy and scrutiny panel for discussion.

The panel will scrutinise the decision before a final agreement is reached on the closure plans.

St Andrew's Primary School headteacher, Neil Tuttiett, said: "The children decided they wanted to launch the petition because they feel passionately about the library staying open.

"They have mobilised themselves and set up an action group to do their bit to save it from closure.

"The reaction to their petition has been fantastic and they say that everyone that they have asked to support them has been more than happy to sign it.

"As a school, we are very proud of the work they are doing."

Parish leaders in the three villages also wrote to the authority's executive asking them to reconsider the plan, but their pleas fell on deaf ears.

Congresbury parish councillors are due to hold emergency talks about the proposal this week and are busy drawing up a battle plan to fight the closure plan.

Congresbury Parish Council chairman, Councillor Pete Sewell, said: "We will fight to keep our library open and are now in the process of drawing up our battle plan.

"I am delighted that the young people of Congresbury are playing their part in saving their library and am urging everyone to get behind them and sign the petition."

As part of the changes, the authority plans to buy a new mobile library vehicle and restructure the routes of the service to give priority to communities most in need.

Councillors said that no closures would take place until alternative more cost effective arrangements were in place.

It is also possible that the libraries may move into other community buildings such as schools, childrens' centres or council run leisure centres.

North Somerset Councils spokesman Nick Yates said: "This is about improving the service and while buildings may eventually close we are looking at alternative provision and a more cost effective library service."