Durrington Library will move into the village hall to cut costs

Durrington Town Council confirmed the library will move into the Robinson Room which is in the village hall.

This move was proposed in a meeting on April 26 but was met with concerns from some volunteers at the library.

Read more: Community concerns over Durrington library’s uncertain future

Wiltshire Council said the 49-year-old timber portacabin, on Bulford Road, has reached the end of its life and it would cost around £250,000 to replace.

Durrington Library has been on Bulford Road for nearly 50 years

A spokesperson for Durrington Town Council said the library would act as a "community hub" in its new location. They added: "Library services across the country need to reduce costs to tackle inflationary increases and deliver savings targets and Wiltshire is no different.

"Remaining on the current site in another portacabin or new build would not reduce costs and require continued maintenance."

Marion Spencer has been a volunteer at the Durrington Library for almost five years and she's staying positive. She said: "Rather than risk losing a library, we’re taking an offer that’s very kindly been given to us.

"You’ve got to be positive haven’t you, especially when there's so much negativity with everything. It is what it is."

By law, local authorities in England and Wales have a statutory duty to provide "comprehensive and efficient public library services" for all those who live, work or study in the area.

Scoring a compromise

Mrs Spencer added: "I think it’s a good alternative because if we’d have left it, we could have been a village left with just a mobile library coming round once a week which would be totally unsuitable."

New moveable shelving, a colourful children's area, and space for computers and self-service kiosks will be provided in the Robinson Room.

The shared premesis means the library can be accessed to borrow and return books outside of the opening hours by groups using the village hall and the public computers can be accessed by partners to run IT courses.

Recognising the library is an "important community focal point", the spokesperson added: "This move preserves the future of Durrington Library and the essential services it provides to residents of all ages.

"Our valued library volunteers will continue to provide a warm welcome to library customers, suggestions for new books to read, information on many subjects and help to use the computers amongst a host of other things."

Durrington Library will be moving into the Robinson Room in the autumn of 2022 and the reading scheme will continue until the end of the summer.

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