TOWN centre shoppers shared their views following leader Stephen Harker's announcement that Darlington Borough Council plans to keep Crown Street Library open.

Many of the shoppers in Darlington town centre thought the proposal would benefit the community and believe the library is a good resource for the town.

Graham Sill, 35, of Darlington said: “It’s good someone’s trying to keep it open because it’s somewhere to go for computer access.

“It doesn’t really compare to anywhere else in the town because I was unemployed for a few months and it was the only place I could go to use a computer.”

Other shoppers said previous plans for a new library in the Dolphin Centre didn’t compare to the Crown Street facility.

Rebecca Gamble, 33, of Neasham village said: “It should stay open because we need a place children can learn to read.

“I don’t even think the Dolphin Centre would be big enough for a library.”

Lynne Metcalfe, from Darlington, agreed, saying: “The Dolphin Centre doesn’t have the capacity to keep the books and I think it would be too warm.”

Shopper Daniel Brown, was happy to hear the news the library may be saved but thought money should go into revamping the building.

He said: “It’s nice it’s staying open, but I’d like to see more investment go into the library.

“I think we should make it a cultural hub and host live art events along with a range of cultural events to get people interested in the library.”

The majority of the shoppers said they were happy Cllr Harker was fighting to keep the library open.

Stephanie Hawlor, 26, of Darlington said: “It would be good if it stayed open because I have children and the library runs lots of activities and sessions for the kids.”

Another shopper, Gary Weller, 38, said: “I’m glad it’s staying put.

“It’s much better than the Dolphin Centre as there’s much more room and it’s got wheelchair access.”

Peter Cowles, 36, of Darlington said: “I don’t use the library personally because I use my computer at home, but I think it will be good for the community.

“It’s somewhere for people to go to access books and the computer."

Shopper Ross Bowman, from York relies on the library and was pleased to hear the announcement from the council leader.

He said: “I use the library quite a bit for work as I have to do lots of research for my job. I think it’s great we’re keeping it.

“I am also going to become a student soon, so I’ll have to use it then as well."