Plan to take on town library wins support

By Laurence Cawley Friday, January 13, 2012
10:21 AM

TOWN council chiefs have agreed to get involved in a pilot scheme in which libraries will be funded by a charitable body.

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Sudbury Town Council has agreed to take part in the project, which will see the town’s library transferred from Suffolk County Council (SCC) to a new independent body with charitable status from April 1.

The town library, housed in the historic Corn Exchange building in Market Hill, is one of seven county-wide involved in the pilot project.

The county council hopes the scheme will pave the way for the future management of all 44 of Suffolk’s libraries. The move, agreed this week by the town council, will see the authority working closely with the new charity body, known as an Independent Provident Society (IPS).

Funding for the library will come from the charity, which the county council says will be 27.6% cheaper to run than the current system, while the town council will be responsible for its day-to-day management.

A long-term lease for the Corn Exchange has already been secured and those involved in the library scheme are hoping to get better use from the building.

As a result, the town council plans to move its award-winning Tourist Information Centre – which was once run from a converted caravan in the Roy’s Supermarket – from its current Gaol Lane home to the Corn Exchange site.

The town council says it will be looking in the future to turn the Corn Exchange into a “true community hub”.

Sue Brotherwood, town clerk, said: “Our library task group has been working very closely with the county council to find the best solutions and a number of conditions have now been agreed.

“It is expected that the town council will manage the Corn Exchange on a long-term lease [probably 125 years] and one of the conditions stipulated by SCC is that the building continues to provide a public library and community facilities. The town council has taken the decision to take part in the pilot scheme and they have nominated councillor Robert Spivey to be their representative on the interim IPS board.

“During the pilot, it may be found it would be advantageous to set up our own IPS, he said.

“Whatever happens, it is Sudbury Town Council’s intention to work with the inaugural IPS and access the expertise within it when required.”

The pilot scheme will run for one year, before final decisions are made over the future of the libraries.