New Mill Library given stay of execution

Jul 3 2009 By Barry Gibson

A VILLAGE library could be saved after councillors ordered its closure to be reconsidered.

Kirklees Council’s Cabinet voted last month to shut New Mill Library to save £41,000 a year.

But a special Scrutiny Panel yesterday told the ruling Labour/Lib Dem coalition to reconsider the issue because of confusion about computer provision.

In June Cabinet had been assured that a replacement mobile library would have at least one PC to replace the four which are currently available at New Mill Library.

But it emerged during yesterday’s hearing at Huddersfield Town Hall that there are no computers for public use on mobile libraries.

The cross-party Scrutiny Panel told Cabinet to reconsider the closure on July 21.

Chairman Clr Robert Iredale said: “We’re referring this back to Cabinet with the recommendation that they defer the closure decision until they have ensured there is alternative access to public computers in New Mill.”

Earlier the Scrutiny Panel heard Clr Donald Firth, who lives in New Mill, explain his opposition to the closure.

The Holme Valley South Conservative said: “I believe this is little more than a petty cost-cutting exercise that will mean the loss of a service that is well valued by local people.”

Clr Firth said that if any small library in Kirklees had to close, it should be Kirkheaton. He said: “Kirkheaton should be the main candidate for closure as it has 4,000 fewer visitors a year than New Mill.”