Message from Ribbke Valley Borough Councillor, Ged Mirfin. Despite the best efforts of the tremendous efforts of our valiant team if enthusiasric team of volunteers Lancashire County Council's Officers very late last night took the decision to recommend the closure of Whalley Library and Spring Wood Childrens Centre - a decision that will be ratified at Cabinet on Tuesday 6th September - the day after children go back to school. The Officers justified this decision on the basis of their own criteria that based on the lack of deprivation in Whalley there is no need for a Library. Despite by far away the largest response to the consultation exercise to all of the public buildings threatened with closure and the fact that the officers in their reports have deliberately chosen to ignore detailed submissions from the Borough & Parish Councils and the Save Whalley Library Group and that they have chosen to ignore and not even reference what was the largest petition anywhere in Lancashire at just under 2,000 residents the Officers are persisting with this ludicrous decision. In the 1000 pages of reports, analysis of feedback and statistical data (yes you did read that correctly) which we will be studying carefully over the next few days a Community rescue package is being dangled before us as long as we request the transfer of the Library as a Community Asset. Lancashire County Council will provide a one off grant of £5,000 toward legal fees for work involved in putting together a Community Asset Transfer Bid, an Annual Grant of £2,662 toward annual running costs of the Library and will agree to meet the Salary Costs of 1 Full Time Employee. Even if the Library was transferred as a Community Asset this would leave a group which took on the Library of having to meet additional Annual running costs in a Volunteerr scenario of £130,000 per year. I will be discussing potential scenarios with colleagues and Nigel Evans Nigel Evans Ribble Valley over the weekend. Thank You all for your effort, hard work and support! Ged Mirfin