Success story for Albrighton Library
After 7 weeks, the work to refurbish Albrighton Library is complete. It has been an exciting few weeks seeing the building of a new office and meeting room for Albrighton Parish Council, and the library transformed to create a modern community space.
This will be celebrated with the reopening of the library and a launch on Monday 18 April 2016 at 1.30pm.
The library officially transferred from Shropshire Council to be run by Albrighton Parish Council on 1 April 2016. The transfer follows a public consultation in which proposals for the future of the library and Customer Service Point were put forward for residents to consider. A total of 95% of respondents opted for the transfer of the library to Albrighton Parish Council.
Councillor Sylvia Pledger, Chairman of Albrighton Parish Council, said:-
“Albrighton Parish Council is delighted to have taken over the lease of Albrighton Library for the next 125 years, and parish councillors look forward to developing a much-valued facility which makes a significant contribution to the life of the community.
“The parish council appreciates the support that it has had from Shropshire Council in making this asset transfer possible. Later this year the parish council, together with other local groups, will begin work on a business plan designed to secure the future of the service, and we look forward to seeing anyone who attends the reopening on Monday.”
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 year, Shropshire Council and Albrighton Parish 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 Albrighton Parish Council are taking over the running of Albrighton 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 Albrighton and the surrounding area for generations to come.”
Leader of the Council, Malcolm Pate, Shropshire Councillor for Albrighton, said:
“I am really pleased to see Albrighton’s library refurbished to such a high standard, and hope that it thrives and diversifies into a sustainable community hub for a long time into the future. It is vital that these local facilities are protected for future generations, and we will continue to look at ways of expanding what’s on offer and looking at different ways of delivering services in partnership with other organisations.”
Further information
The Albrighton Library transfer is part of the 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 sustainable and more cost effective ways.
