Sir, – 1,695 Stokesley residents signed for their library to be a hybrid because an all-volunteer library is more vulnerable and they need a sustainable library. It was remarkable to encounter an almost unanimous quantity of strong support. With resounding clarity, they rejected county’s proposals to close the library and wanted it to remain in county provision. During 2013/14, Stokesley children, students and adults made over 40,000 visits to the library. We handed in the petition and personal responses and each councillor was given a copy of this speech.

Local people are deeply concerned that county is not recognising the library’s educational, cultural, economic and social benefits.

There is strong questioning of the county’s criteria for choosing Stokesley to become a community library since we would be 18 miles from our Northallerton core library while four out of the five proposed hybrids are much nearer. Locals are puzzled as to why our library has running costs of £26,000 when other comparable libraries have none.

The financial history of Town Close, the building where the library is located, and the costs of closure, need to be carefully considered before a decision is made. Town Close is operated under a 999 year lease and a Partnership Agreement with Broadacres Housing and Hambleton District Council. This document records that county provided in total £1.9 million towards the building, which is owned by Broadacres. This money was raised from the sale of the former library building in Stokesley Manor, and from the sale of the former Springfield Old People’s House. Council's contribution was recognised by the fact that it has rent free occupation of the new library premises. If this library was closed, the council is abandoning almost £2 million, which is an unconscionable waste of public money.

The Communities Fund was invoked to persuade us of the ‘opportunity’ that a volunteer run library would have. We then discovered that it would be small and unreliable even in the short term. If all of the proposed community libraries were changed to hybrids the cost to each North Yorkshire household would be £2.62.

We support the suggestion that all of the proposed community libraries be kept within county management and the necessary cuts be spread across all North Yorkshire libraries.

We do appreciate the financial constraints on the council but, as evidenced by the 1,695 signatures and 135 primary children’s comments, Stokesley people ask all their elected representatives to keep their library within county provision and not to make it a community library.

EILEEN DRIVER

Save Stokesley Library Campaign.