MORE than 70 people packed Wiveliscombe Community Centre last Thursday (October 25) to hear about options for the town library.

They agreed unanimously to call on the town council to become involved in running it and to raise the local tax precept by a small yearly amount to help fund it.

Wiveliscombe Library is one of 15 in Somerset and five in West Somerset due to face closure unless the local community gets involved in a Community Library Partnership with Somerset County Council.

Wiveliscombe, as well as others in Bishops Lydeard, Nether Stowey, Porlock and Watchet, would start to close from early 2019 and alternative library services such as mobile van library stops would be implemented if no partnership is in place.

Julian Mellor, chairman of the Save Wivey Library campaign group, and town and district councillor Dave Mansell outlined two options to the meeting for a Community Library Partnership.

The favoured one would see the town council, if it agrees, pay Somerset County Council to staff and manage the library, and wouldlease the building and pay its costs, possibly through a charity partner.

“This may be the more sustainable route,” Cllr Mansell told the meeting. “The hope would be that the library would look the same as at the moment, and would continue as it has.

“Funding could be through a parish precept on council tax, and possibly contributions from a precept from parishes around Wiveliscombe.”

He said estimates showed the precept on a Band D property - in the middle of the tax bands - would add £5 to £8 a year to people’s council tax, and possibly less if other parishes were willing to contribute.

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