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Library responses raise hopes

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County council officers are “reeling” from public responses to the consultation on libraries.

Alvechurch parish chairman Andy Humphries told councillors he had heard from Carol Brown, the Service Manager for Libraries and Culture at Worcestershire County Council.

The county had received around 1,300 responses and may recategorise individual libraries, taking these comments into account.

Coun Humphries reiterated that the PFI status of Alvechurch Library also had to be considered.

The threat to Alvechurch library was also considered by Barnt Green parish councillors after county councillor Charlie Hotham told them: “I get the impression that we are making a bit of headway.

“Alvechurch had a library as part of the school until, 15 years ago, someone decided it should go into a PFI with £46,000 rent costs a year.”

Parish chairman Robert Cholmondeley said: “This review is purely cost-cutting. It is not that they have got a strategic vision. Initially it was £1 million, then £800,000, then £600,000 – and the £600,000 was presented as ‘good news’!”