Councillor remains fearful over future of Hucknall library

At the council’s budget meeting on February 24, Coun John Cottee (Con), chairman of the council’s communities committee announced that library provision was safe, but the buildings they were housed in were not.

Now, Coun John Wilmott (Ash Ind), who represents Hucknall North at County Hall, has joined other Independents in writing Peter Gaw, who runs the council’s libraries for Inspire for a guarantee that Hucknall Library would remain open in its current location.

Coun Wilmott, who has used Hucknall Library since childhood, said, “I’ve worried about the future of Hucknall Library for some time.

"The Independents at County Hall continue to put pressure to safeguard the future of our popular facility in the heart of Hucknall.

"The Tories claimed they were committed to providing library services but not the buildings that hold them.

"Then an hour later they justified spending £15 million on the new office building at Top Wighay Farm because they are going to re-locate council services there.

"My Hucknall Ashfield Independent colleagues Couns Dave Shaw, Lee Waters and I have written an urgent letter to library bosses, telling them we want them to commit to keeping Hucknall Library open.

"I am not prepared to risk our library being shut to justify spending £15 million on posh, new offices.

"The Tories should have invested this money on fixing Hucknall’s broken roads and pavements, as we told them to at their budget meeting.

"We will fight any plans to close our library tooth and nail.”