LOCAL councillors in Culcheth, Glazebury and Croft have reaffirmed their commitment to securing the future of Culcheth Library.
They say working with Warrington Borough Council will help deliver a package of improvements to the well-regarded community facility.
The Library was threatened with closure in 2016, when Livewire opened a consultation on its future. An initial meeting to discuss the proposals saw over 100 residents turning up to voice their concerns. Councillors Matt Smith, Ben Alldred and Jan Davidson, who were present at the meeting, understood the strength of feeling and were determined to retain the Library as an essential resource in the village.
Cllr Davidson said: “There has been an exceptional desire by local people to maintain Culcheth Library as a resource for our whole community. Over the past few years, it has been heartening to see so many residents organising, supporting and developing the Library’s resources and infrastructure.”
Following the closure threat, Cllr Smith invested time to recruit local people to form the Culcheth Library Working Group, which later became the Friends of Culcheth Library.
Cllr Smith said: “Local people have done an amazing job, organising and launching events at the Library, all of which have proved its value to our community. As a result, we were able to successfully lobby Livewire to extend the library opening hours in 2019, enabling more groups to meet there. Following the first Covid-19 lockdown, we accelerated the reopening of the Library by three months from the initial proposals. We stand by our commitment to Culcheth Library, and now we want to go further.”
Chair of the Friends of Culcheth Library and Parish Councillor Alldred added: “For the past five years, local Councillors have been working with a wide-cross section of the community. This community focus has helped to shape a positive vision for the future for Culcheth Library. We are now working with Warrington Borough Council on plans to refurbish the building, both inside and out. We want to deliver a package of improvements to ensure that the library provides a resource for lifelong learning for the foreseeable future.”
