Library plan criticised by town's mayor

Library services would be expanded at The Coro if the plan is approved, the council said

A council's preferred plan for a revamped library service has been branded a "cost-saving exercise" by the town's mayor.

Ulverston Library has been shut since September after the discovery of electrical problems at the King's Road building.

Graham Scrogham, who also represents Labour on Ulverston Town Council, said he feared people were being "railroaded" into accepting a scheme by Westmorland and Furness Council, which would see the facility housed within the Coronation Hall - known as The Coro.

However, the local authority said the proposal would see millions of pounds invested to enhance the property as an arts and cultural hub.

The Liberal Democrat-controlled council took over the management of the building in January and since then a temporary library has been located in the Supper Room.

A public consultation on proposals began on 10 July.

The council said the plans would "enhance The Coro as an arts and cultural hub"

Mr Scrogham said he was "massively disappointed" with the preferred option and claimed: "We feel we're being railroaded down a cost-saving exercise that's been thinly disguised as that by Westmorland and Furness Council."

He also criticised the authority for having enlisted architects to produce images of the revamped Coro building "because that's their preferred option".

'Heart of the community'

Councillor Peter Thornton, cabinet member for highways and assets, said: "Rather than a 'cost-saving exercise', our proposed option looks to invest millions of pounds in Ulverston to enhance The Coro as an arts and cultural hub."

He added it would ensure the building would be "in use by more people, for more of the time, and putting it even more firmly at the heart of the community".

An independent assessment found the remodelling of The Coro to create a cafe, meeting rooms and flexible community spaces along with an enhanced library service would cost £2.5m, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Meanwhile, the cost of refurbishing the King’s Road library to the standard of libraries at Kendal or Barrow would be £1.9m.

The refurbishment of the building to house a stand-alone library service and to re-model The Coro to create the community cafe and better community spaces but without the library would cost £4.2m.