OBJECTIONS against the proposed withdrawal of council funding from a market town's library sparked a special hearing - as more than one per cent of the district’s population responded.

North Yorkshire County Council is currently considering proposals to turn libraries at Stokesley, Bedale, Thirsk, Colburn and Leyburn into volunteer-run centres.

Just seven libraries in North Yorkshire would retain professional staff with the remainder “hybrid”, with the council funding the premises and one paid member of staff.

A petition calling for Stokesley Library to be considered for a hybrid solution was recently submitted to the council.

The petition and separate written objections totalled 2,047 responses. As this was more than one per cent of the district’s population, it was automatically referred to the county council area committee for debate.

Stokesley resident Alec Dick represented the Save Stokesley Library Campaign group and was invited to speak at the county council’s Hambleton Area Committee meeting today (Monday, March 9).

He said: “All those who have signed our petition, whether regular or occasional users, know its value to themselves and to others and especially to those who are most in need. They also know the impact of these austerity measures will inevitably fall disproportionately and unfairly on those who are most vulnerable.”

Councillor Gareth Dadd said the Stokesley campaigners appeared to be calling for more money to be put into library services. He said with the county council still facing a £14m to £15m budget black hole, it was a disingenuous suggestion when they were facing real threats to budgets protecting the most vulnerable children and adults.

He told the meeting: “I think every member on this county council is hoping to protect the most vulnerable members of our society and that money has to come from somewhere. I’m for protecting the social services budget.”

The public consultation is now closed and officers are going through every one of the 8,200 responses received across the county before producing a report and a final recommendation to the council's executive committee. It will make a final decision in June.

County council leader and Hambleton councillor John Weighell told the meeting they had to consider what was fair for all affected communities in North Yorkshire: “There’s a lot of thinking to be done to make it fair over all of the county.

“If you look at visits and borrowing, Stokesley is below halfway on our figures; it’s 18th equal for visits and 16th equal on borrowing out of the 30 libraries we’re talking about in the consultation.”

He proposed that - although the consultation closed on February 8 - the petition should be referred as evidence to the library consultation. His recommendation was approved.