Unpopular library relocation plan approved

A general view of Ulverston Library, a small stone building, seen from the street
The library had to be closed because of an electrical fault [Google]

Unpopular plans to move a town's library into a theatre building have been approved.

Westmorland and Furness Council's cabinet has agreed to permanently close Ulverston Library in Cumbria and house the service in the nearby Coronation Hall.

Councillors were told moving the library into The Coro, as it is known locally, was the only feasible option, as repairing the original King’s Road building would cost too much.

Labour councillor Jackie Drake said she was "extremely disappointed" in the decision.

Drake said the original library was "very relevant" to the town.

"It's an extremely accessible space and it's the perfect space for the Ulverston community," she said.

"They’re two different services – there’s the library service, which is also the community hub, but then we have the Coronation Hall, which is a real theatre and an arts venue, and it is treasured as that."

A woman with a grey-brown bob and glasses with a glum expression.
Councillor Jackie Drake said she was disappointed in the decision [BBC]

Book lending was moved to The Coro after an electrical fault forced the closure of the original library.

Liberal Democrat council leader Jonathan Brook said there was now a need to ensure the viability of both the library and The Coro.

"We clearly need to work with the community and work doubly hard in the light of where we’ve got to, and I make that personal commitment," he said.

He added the council would work to remodel the building to address accessibility.

A man with grey hair and glasses, smiling.
Council leader Jonathan Brook made a commitment to work with the community to ensure the viability of the library and The Coro [BBC]

Ulverston Town Council leader Mark Wilson said the larger authority had "seized on this opportunity of a library closure to move through some changes that they thought would be better".

"But they didn’t discuss them with us," he said.

Plans for arts and cultural programming at The Coro were introduced at the meeting but were a "last-minute clause that we’ve not examined carefully", he added.

A bald man wearing a woolly jumper looking disappointed
Councillor Mark Wilson said more discussions were needed around the plans [BBC]

Janice Lomas, who lives in Ulverston, said the library had become a focal point for the community, with many older people using it as a meeting place and a warm hub in the winter.

She said she did not believe the new arrangements would be able to accommodate that, or include the current dedicated children’s area.

"The Coronation Hall is not going to do that - the building is not suitable," she said.

"There’s people [who] don’t have a lot of money and they just want somewhere to go, and King’s Road was so accessible for them."

A woman with shoulder-length grey hair and glasses, smiling.
Resident Janice Lomas is disappointed with the decision made by the council [BBC]

Follow BBC Cumbria on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram. Send your story ideas to northeastandcumbria@bbc.co.uk.

More on this story

Related internet links