Portland Underhill Library to shut due to lack of volunteers

A Dorset library is set to close after the council failed to find volunteers to run it.

In July 2011, the county council voted to withdraw funding from nine libraries to save £800,000 a year by 2012.

Portland Underhill Library will shut on 28 April. Discussions are continuing over the future of the other eight libraries.

Local residents can continue to use the larger Portland Tophill Library, which is not under threat.

Paul Leivers, head of community services at the council, said: "We are making good progress in our discussions to transfer eight libraries to local community control, but there was no desire to do so in the Portland Underhill area."

He said a mobile library service, and a home delivery and collection service for elderly and disabled people, would also be set up.

The Conservative-led authority had originally planned to withdraw funding from 20 of its 34 libraries, but revised the proposals.

The other eight libraries volunteers are being sought for are: Burton Bradstock, Charmouth, Chickerell, Colehill, Corfe Castle, Puddletown, Salbridge and Wool.