IT is excellent news that Darlington library and its services are to be retained at Crown Street (Echo, Sept 4&5).

I am however concerned that public money has been wasted on a legal case.

If the council had listened to public opinion and worked with the Library friends on a plan for the future of the library all of this money could have been saved and used for the library and other services.

Chris Foote Wood fails to mention the waste of public money by Darlington Borough Council in his letter (HAS, Sept 5). He also fails to mention the upset and uncertainty which has hung over the excellent library staff since the original proposal was made in February 2016 nor does he pay tribute, as I am doing, to the hard work and tenacity of the Library friends and others who worked so hard to keep the library and its services in its historic and iconic building at Crown Street.

Alan Macnab, Darlington.