Updated Could Cobbett Hub and Library close for good at the end of January? It looks entirely possible unless a new partner emerges to run it...

 

Southampton City Council (SCC) has announced charity Social Care in Action (SCiA), which has been running Cobbett Hub and Library since 2016, has now decided to withdraw.

The news came in an SCC update to library users on Tuesday (Dec 12 29).

It said: "Our community partner Social Care in Action (SCiA) has been running Cobbett Road Hub & Library since 2016 but sadly, as a result of the pandemic, SCiA has had to make the very difficult and sad decision to withdraw from the provision of a range of community and library offers at Cobbett Road."

SCiA and drama group Unexpected Places were successful in their bid to run what was known as Cobbett Road Library four years ago when council funding for the branch stopped.

The Labour authority blamed a £40 million budget cut from central government, and initiated a city-wide 'Library Transformation' consultation exercise that saw nearly 8,000 people take part - and a significant campaign to keep affected branches open.

Library protest in 2015 from the Bargate to the civic centre

"We are very sorry to share this sad news with you at this difficult time but hope to be able to find alternative ways of providing a community hub and library offer in due course," said SCC in its Tuesday 'Library news' update.

The council said the last day the library will be open to the public will be Friday, January 29 (it is set to reopen on Monday, January 4 with limited services due to Tier 4 restrictions); library membership however means any branch can be used, the closest being Bitterne Library (set for a possible revamp as part of the Bitterne Hub in 2025/26), Portswood Library and Woolston Library.

'Privilege to serve the community'

Dan Freshwater, CEO of SCiA, commented: "It has been a privilege to serve the community around Cobbett Road Library since taking on responsibility in June 2016 and we are proud of what has been achieved by the team there. Leaving Cobbett Road Library has been a tough decision for the charity to make, but unfortunately an unavoidable one given the impact of Covid-19. We have valued the efforts of the volunteers who have supported us throughout our time there and wish them and the other patrons of the library well for the future."

Christmases past: Families enjoy Cobbett Library’s busy Christmas fayre in 2017, in the meeting room - now transformed into the children's library. Pic: Steve Hickman

'Committed to finding new provider'

Councillor Satvir Kaur, SCC's cabinet member for culture and homes, said: "It is very sad news that SCiA are no longer able to run a community library provision at Cobbett Road due to the challenges of operating in the current climate; particularly after the investment they have made in the facility. This pandemic continues to have a devastating social and financial impact on our communities, but we are committed to finding a new provider here and are in discussions with a number of partners for a renewed community offer."

'Key local facility'

David Fuller, one of the three Conservative Bitterne Park ward councillors, told bitternepark.info: "This is extremely sad news for Cobbett Road Library and the surrounding communities. The library is a key local facility that has played a large part in the lives of many local people. We, as Bitterne Park Ward Councillors, will be doing all we can to ensure the Council finds a new operator or an alternative way to reopen the library when the pandemic allows."

The Friends of Cobbett Road Library said its committee would be meeting the council to discuss the situation.

Updated 30/12/20 approx 11.30am to include comments from Dan Freshwater, Satvir Kaur and David Fuller, and some further historical detail and photos

Previously
Bright and busy future' forecast for Cobbett Road Library – SCiA (then SCA) takes over running of library, from 2016
Ta-da! And now we have a community library! - June 2016
Audio: Cobbett & five other Southampton libraries to close unless groups offer to run them - September 2015