A major stride has been taken towards saving library and tourist information services in the Summer Wine town of Holmfirth.

Fifty residents have signed up to help as volunteers as the services face shutdown in the face of significant cuts to Kirklees’ central government funding.

Over 100 people attended a public meeting to discuss the future of the library in Huddersfield Road.

Kirklees Chief Librarian Carol Stump told the meeting that her team were determined to save library services in some form. Friends of library groups have already been set up in Meltham, Honley and Golcar. In places where libraries have been volunteer-led for some time, and they are working well.

She said council thinking was that the library and tourist information services could be combined in one building.

A £20,000 consultation exercise started this week and will run for 12 weeks.

Kirklees Councillor Graham Turner said that it was genuine regret that the library services, for which he is responsible, were at threat. The council is seeing a 40% cut in its income.

The library and information services currently receive a £6m annual budget, but have been asked to present a package of services equating to £3.9m a year, a cut of over a third.

The meeting was initiated by the Colne Valley Labour Party and its Parliamentary Candidate Jane East said after the meeting “It was a real credit to the people of Holmfirth with so many people turning out on a bad winter’s night.

“There was real anger expressed about the size of cuts the council is being forced to make, but at the same time a determination to find a community solution.”

A representative of the Holme Valley Parish Council told the meeting that they were keen to be involved in any future plans. Steve Morris, a former headmaster and member of the community group Holmfirth Transition Town, said “A community solution should be centred on goodwill, not a political knockabout.”

The meeting at Holmfirth Methodist Church was chaired by the minister, Rev Keith Griffin.