Friends of Cobbett Road Library (FOCRL) have asked supporters to write to council cabinet members urging them to further investigate alternative options that were suggested as part of the council's extensive libraries consultation service.
Cabinet voted on August 18 to withdraw funding from five city libraries including Cobbett Road in Bitterne Park, but the decision's been called in for further scrutiny, giving a brief 'stay of execution'.
But after more discussion at scrutiny on September 10, the decision is likely to return to the September 15 cabinet meeting for a final decision by eight Labour councillors.
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FOCRL says the consultation hasn't taken into account the views of 1867 who signed asking to keep the library council run and staffed.
Waste of time? Just one of the tables at a packed public meeting in February called to find alternatives to keeping Cobbett open
In a letter to supporters FOCRL says:
“The Friends group realises the financial difficulties faced by the council and we have researched and proposed many viable ideas to reach an alternative way of helping the library but still keeping it council run. This has all been brushed over and only 'closure' or 'community run' has been offered (this means taking on raising money to run the whole building as well as staffing it with volunteers).
“So we only have until [September 15] to write to Cabinet members to ask them to vote for further investigation of the other options that were suggested.”
FOCRL concludes with an appeal for library supporters to email members of the cabinet:
Councillor Satvir Kaur - responsible for libraries
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Leader of Council, Councillor Simon Letts
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Councillor Daniel Jeffery
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Councillor Mark Chaloner
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Councillor Jacqui Rayment
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Councillor Dave Shields
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Councillor Warwick Payne
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Councillor Christopher Hammond
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Video: Friends of Cobbett Road Library respond to cabinet decision to withdraw funding from libraries