15/02/2016 - Permalink

Refurbishment of Broseley Library ready for transfer to Broseley Town Council

Related topics: Community / Leisure, culture and heritage / Partner organisations

Broseley Library and Customer Service Point will be temporarily closed for around six weeks from Monday 29 February 2016 for refurbishment, as part of the transfer of the library to Broseley Town Council.

The transfer follows a public consultation led by Shropshire Council, in which proposals for the future of the library and Customer Service Point were put forward for residents to consider. A total of 87% of respondents opted for the transfer of the library to the town council.

The building work, due to last for around 6 weeks, will involve moving the town council’s office from its present location, into the library.

Stuart West, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for leisure and culture, said:

“Libraries play a vital and integral part in our local communities. Over the past 12 months, Shropshire Council and Broseley Town Council have been working extremely hard with partners and the local community to find ways that will enable the library to remain open.

“As a result of this I am delighted that Broseley Town Council are taking over the running of Broseley Library on our behalf. This is a great opportunity for the councils to safeguard the library services for local residents and to continue to provide a valuable service to the people of Broseley and the surrounding area.

“In the meantime, we do apologise for any inconvenience while the library undergoes a refurbishment. I hope users of the library and Customer Service Point will enjoy the much- improved facilities when it opens.”

A mobile library will be available at the front of the library for customers wanting to use their local library service every Saturday morning from Saturday 5 March  to Saturday 26 March from 10am to 1pm.

Simon Harris, Mayor of Broseley Town Council added:

“For many people living and working in the Broseley area our library and car park play an important part in the life of the town. We were therefore keen to work in partnership with Shropshire Council to maintain these amenities.”

Elaine Moss, Shropshire Council’s library area manager – south, said:

“We know how important the library is to residents in Broseley, and we do apologise for the inconvenience this may cause, but we want to help all we can. Prior to the closed period, people may borrow as many books as they like and either return them to the mobile library, another Shropshire Council library or keep them until Broseley Library reopens.”

Advice for library customers during the temporary closure:

  • Any customers who wants to use library services can still do so at any other Shropshire Council library.
  • Anyone needing to contact Customer Services about a Shropshire Council query can do so by calling 0345 678 9000 or by visiting www.shropshire.gov.uk.

Further information

Broseley Town Council is to take over the running of Broseley Library and Customer Service Point. This follows a public consultation in which people were asked to consider proposals for the future of the library building. Option 1, to transfer the running of the library to Broseley Town Council, was supported by 87% of respondents.

The consultation is part of wider work Shropshire Council is undertaking with partner organisations and communities across Shropshire, in response to central government cuts, to ensure libraries and other key face-to-face services continue to be delivered in a sustainable and more cost effective ways.