By Matt Jarram, Local Democracy Reporter
Campaigners fighting to save three libraries from closure have handed a petition to Nottingham City Council.
The Labour-run authority says it will decide in the autumn if any of the three libraries earmarked for closure will be saved.
The libraries which could be closed are Radford/Lenton Library, Basford Library and Aspley Library. The clsoures would save the authority £233,000.
Residents have carried out a series of protests outside the affected libraries this year as part of the council’s consultation.
Two Labour councillors, Cllr Anne Peach and Cllr Hassan Ahmed, who represent the Radford area, have also gone against their own party’s proposals. They are calling for the Radford/Lenton library to be saved.
They say the much-loved centre is in an area of deprivation and shutting it will will rip out “the heart and soul of the local community”.
The leader of Nottingham City Council blamed the council’s financial situation for the proposals and said it is not a decision he wants to make.
Earlier this year, Cllr David Mellen (Lab) said: “Clearly this is not something we would want to do but our finances dictate that we look at everything.”
The petition was handed to Nottingham City Council on Monday, July 11, at a full council meeting held at the Council House.
The petition has been signed by 2,800 people. The petition calls on the city council to abandon its plans to close three libraries in the city.
Cllr Phil Jackson (Lab) handed two boxes of signed letters to the Mayor stressing that “all our libraries are community jewels.”
Campaigner Stewart Halforty said: “We’ve lobbied councillors across the city, organised three read-ins at each of the threatened libraries, encouraged thousands to engage with the consultation, and held talks and events at libraries across the city.
“We hope that enough councillors see sense that the council step back from these proposed closures. As well as being in some of the most deprived wards of the city, these libraries are historic buildings that have stood in their respective communities for almost a century.”
