We have handed over your petition calling on county hall chiefs to save libraries across Hyndburn.
More than 1,600 people - signing our petitions online and in the paper - backed the Observer’s campaign to save the borough’s five libraries after Lancashire County Council (LCC) announced savage budget cuts.
LCC bosses, citing a funding gap of £262 million they need to close by 2020, launched a consultation, which has now ended, into proposals to shut half of the county’s libraries.
There are five libraries under threat in the borough - Accrington, Oswaldtwistle, Great Harwood, Rishton and Clayton-le-Moors.
Alongside the plans LCC is also proposing to close six buildings in Hyndburn - comprised of libraries, youth centres, disability day services and day centres - and replace them with ‘neighbourhood centres’ providing a range of council services in multi functional buildings.
The Observer delivered the petition - run jointly with our sister paper the Rossendale Free Press - to County Hall in Preston, which was accepted by leaders of Hyndburn and Rossendale councils Miles Parkinson and Alyson Barnes, both also Labour county councillors.
Coun Parkinson said he had met with LCC chiefs to discuss how Hyndburn council, voluntary groups and charities could work with them over the proposals.
He said: “In Hyndburn we have a track record of successfully working with groups in transferring buildings such as the Civic Theatre in Oswaldtwistle, Mercer House, Arthur Wilson Centre in Clayton-le-Moors, Churchfield House in Great Harwood - just to name some which are now more used by the public then when under council control, and a big thanks goes to those organisations.
“I am very positive regarding what Hyndburn, voluntary groups and charities are coming forward with.”
He added that further meetings would be held shortly to put forward options for collaborations with charities and community groups to maintain services and public focal buildings.
The responses to the first phase of the consultation will now be carefully analysed before a second 12-week consultation is launched.
Lancashire’s full county council is due to meet on February 11 to agree its full budget proposals.
