WATCHET will take its fight to save its library to the people with a public meeting in the town next Tuesday (February 8).

The Esplanade facility is one of six still earmarked for closure by Somerset County Council, whose cabinet this week approved revised controversial proposals for the future shape of the library service.

Under the new plans, libraries in Dulverton and Wiveliscombe are among nine originally on the hit list but now earmarked to remain fully funded.

But the partial u-turn leaves Watchet, Porlock and Bishops Lydeard facing closure from September - unless local communities step in to run them.

A further five, including Nether Stowey, will be given a year's grace to give communities time to see if they want to take them over.

A town council contingent from Watchet was among those protesters at the cabinet meeting on Wednesday hoping to influence the final decision on the library closures, which will be taken by a meeting of the full county council in just under a fortnight.

A Watchet Town Council spokesman said the authority was "campaigning vigourously" through a specially appointed library working group that it had set up.

The five-strong group, which includes town councillors and members of the public, has already collected signatures for a county-wide Save Somerset Libraries petition and lobbied council council leaders, portfolio holders, the authority's heritage officer Tom Mayberry - who is responsible for libraries - and West Somerset's MP Ian Liddell-Grainger.

Town council chairman Cllr Sally de Renzy-Martin said the group was committed to safeguarding services in deprived areas, a category in which Watchet fell.

The council's environment and planning committee chairman Cllr Peter Murphy, who is a member of the group, added: "Many residents in Watchet give up a great deal of time to support and provide facilities as volunteers.

"What a way to repay them by withdrawing a quality public service from the community that is fundamental to their life and leisure - it really is a cut too far."

Town councillors have pledged to continue the fight to save Watchet's library and are calling on local people to voice their views at the public meeting, which will take place at the Methodist Schoolroom in Harbour Road at 7pm.