New library hope dashed

East Sussex County Council's planning committee met on Wednesday last week and announced it would only replace libraries in Newhaven and Hastings.

One of the Friends, Danny Murray, said: 'We are absolutely disillusioned and disappointed to discover that after our years of canvassing for a larger library to meet the needs of our 25,000 residents, Seaford has been overlooked by the powers that be.'

Four years ago the library received an upgrade but the Friends said this did nothing to change the basic required size of the public area.

Mrs Murray added: 'The space is so limited that we have a mini-size library with two users pressing past each other to get to the DVD shelf and constant queues at the counter to check out stock. The People's Network Computers funded by a National Lottery grant (not the county council) are always fully booked. We don't know what to do next.'

A council spokesman said: 'Seaford library is important to us. We understand that there is room for improvement, and it has had an upgrade in the last three years which saw a significant increase in the number of people visiting the library '“ up by 24 per cent and in issues of books, CDs, DVDs and videos, up by 21 per cent. We understand local concern over this decision and we will continue to look for opportunities to deliver a new library for the people of Seaford. At the moment our aspirations outstrip available resources.

'In today's climate of cuts in library services nationwide, East Sussex County Council is actually planning to build two new libraries. Hastings, Bexhill and Newhaven libraries have been at the top of our stated priorities in our capital programme for some years and we have taken the opportunities that have arisen to address the inadequacy of the current buildings for 21st century library facilities.

'New libraries are planned for Newhaven and Hastings, and Bexhill is currently undergoing a major refit and upgrade of facilities on the ground floor.'