An 11th hour effort to defer a decision to move Ulverston’s library into the Coronation Hall failed.
Members of the cabinet for Westmorland and Furness Council approved the permanent relocation of service into the Coronation Hall yesterday, September 10.
The cabinet also approved a recommendation which declared the currently closed Ulverston Library building on King’s Road surplus to existing operational needs with the future options for the asset to be assessed.
Cabinet member for sustainable communities and localities councillor Virginia Taylor said the council had taken time to carefully consider all the options and described co-locating the library service into the Coro as the only viable option.
Cllr Taylor said: “In Ulverston we’ve explored how we can most effectively invest to protect the library service in the town and at the same time secure the future sustainability of a key cultural and community building,
“We’re not closing or cutting library or cultural services like many other councils; we’re looking for a creative solution to not only protect the library service, but to breathe new life into a much-loved community building at the same time.”
Councillor Anne Burns (Old Barrow and Hindpool, Labour), speaking on behalf of the Labour group, told the cabinet the MP for Barrow and Furness Michelle Scrogham had written to all members of the cabinet to ask for a deferral of any decision regarding Ulverston Library.
Cllr Burns said: “She’s asking you all to defer to take some time to work with her and the community to find a long-term sustainable solution for both the library and the Coronation Hall.
“I would also add that the Labour group supports this proposal from our MP, we are also asking for a deferral of this decision today and to allow that conversation to take place in a proper manner.”
Cabinet member for highways, assets and ICT, councillor Peter Thornton said the Coro needed to develop as a cultural community space.
“This decision helps to bring new life into the Coro and to move it to a sustainable future containing a library”, Cllr Thornton added.
The former leaseholder of the Coro, the charity Ulverston Coronation Hall previously said it had multiple concerns about the proposals which stemmed from its deep and lived understanding of the building.
A statement from UCH said: “They will undermine, not enhance the building’s capacity to earn income and attract funding by reducing spaces and creating sub-optimal income-generation spaces. In the long run, this will cost the council more.”
UCH ran the Coro from 2016, but handed back its management to Westmorland & Furness Council in November last year after the pandemic, rising costs and a tough cultural landscape left it with an uncertain future.
A report prepared for the cabinet meeting said the council did not underestimate the affinity people had for Ulverston Library.
The report said: “We intend to provide investment into the Coronation Hall to create improved, flexible and creative community spaces.
“This will enable the relocation of the much valued library service into the building which will support the sustainability of the cultural offer in Ulverston.”
Councillors also considered the strategic outline business case for the redevelopment of the Coro to improve the arts, culture and entertainment offer in the area.
On approval of the final business case, the scheme will be recommended to council for approval.
Council documents revealed it would cost £4.2 million to refurbish the King’s Road library and the Coro while the preferred option of relocating the library service into the Coro would cost £2.5 million.
The proposed works will lead to the building having an improved commercial offer with bar, food and beverage facilities as well as a permanent and enhanced library with 100 per cent of active book stock available, a report prepared for the meeting said.
Other benefits outlined by the council include a dedicated children’s library and increased ICT facilities as well as improved community and flexible activity space within the Coro.
The report said: “Having the library within an arts and cultural venue will provide local people, and visitors, with the opportunity to experience multiple activities such as attending a theatre production or library activity in addition to browsing the bookshelves and enjoying refreshments from the café.
“Library customers will have the option to borrow and return their books at the self-check machine outside of normal library open hours, thus providing a much more flexible service offer. The stock will be refreshed, and some collections increased, particularly the popular local collection.”
However, concerns had previously been raised by Ulverston Town Council regarding the proposal to relocate the library with mayor Graham Scrogham labelling the proposal massively disappointing.
A survey conducted by the town council from July 5 to August 22 found 96.7 per cent of the 1,429 respondents wanted the Kings Road Library to reopen.
However, a report prepared for the meeting by Westmorland and Furness Council said the town council’s survey was launched before the council’s proposals were made public.
The report added the town council’s consultation did not consider alternative options or the impact of the single proposal on the future operation of The Coro.
A separate consultation on the council’s preferred option to relocate the library service was held in which 74.85 per cent of respondents said they would visit the library and Coro the same or more under the proposed option.
The library on King’s Road closed in September 2023 after the discovery of electrical faults in the building during routine statutory checks.
Following the council taking over the management of the Coro in January, the temporary library has been located in the Supper Room at the Coro and is open in line with the King’s Road opening hours.
