The Southampton City Council cabinet member responsible for libraries says she hopes Cobbett Road Library won't have to close during any transition from being council funded to being run by other organisations.

The council withdraws its funding for the library from April, and Social Care in Action and theatre group Unexpected Places have expressed interest in running it together.

“We haven't received the business plan from the interested party, so I wouldn't be able to tell you what kind of transition phase there might be, or how long it would be,” Cllr Satvir Kaur, right, told bitternepark.info.

Partnership work

“But what I can say is that we're really really happy with the people that are putting in the bid – really pleased with their partnership work especially with the local community and the 'Friends of' group.

“I'm looking to sit down with them in the near future to go through with them things that they can do short term and things that they can do long term, and any way we can help with that transitional phase, which is one of their concerns.

And Cllr Kaur said the library would “hopefully not” have to close during any transition.

“At the moment, as the cabinet lead [on libraries], I can't see that happening,” she said.

Social Care in Action and Unexpected Places are expected to submit a further application and business plan to the council by the end of February.

Previously
SCA interested in running Cobbett Road Library

Pic of Cllr Kaur cropped from an original byl George Middleton-Baker under CC2