Petition started to keep East Sussex village library open

It was started because Brighton and Hove City Council is conducting a “needs and use” analysis to decide whether to close three community libraries to save money.

The proposal – to close three community libraries – could save £250,000 over two years according to the council’s budget papers for the financial year that starts tomorrow. The council currently spends £3.7 million a year on the library service.

The petition was started by Sarah Craven-Antill whose mother-in-law Sue Antill campaigned to keep the children’s library open 35 to 40 years ago.

Mrs Craven-Antill, 35, is in the library up to four times a week with her two young children and sees families and older people using it daily.

One of her worries is that councillors appear to have been told that the refurbished Saltdean Lido library has been receiving more visitors than before the coronavirus pandemic.

But for families with small children and for older people with mobility issues, it’s easier to reach Rottingdean Library at The Grange, in The Green, than taking a hilly mile-long walk to the lido.

She said: “My worry is our location as we’re very close to Saltdean which has had quite a big investment.

“The new library is viable whereas my concern is this puts Rottingdean library in a vulnerable position. It’s an older building.”

Retired reading champion Nicky Lloyd Owen, who is also the co-ordinator of the library’s Thursday book group, is encouraging people to discover all the new books and audio at the library.

Currently, the library is open two days a week, when it used to be three, which she described as a “creep” on the service.

Mrs Lloyd Owen said: “It is tricky. Rottingdean can be perceived as being alright. But Rottingdean is changing.

“It used to be more retired. There are two schools, two nurseries and an ageing population but there are so many families moving in.

“There are lots of people coming through the village and the library is a natural place to meet people.”

Mrs Lloyd Owen, who is also a volunteer at The Grange, is encouraging heritage champions to get involved and plans to attend Rottingdean Parish Council to raise the library issue.

The petition said that losing the library would put The Grange at risk including the gallery, tea room and Gertrude’s – an arts and crafts pop up.

When the council’s People Overview and Scrutiny Committee discussed libraries reorganisation last Tuesday (18 March), cabinet member Emma Daniel said that there was no list of libraries under threat of closure at this time.

The council plans to hold a public consultation on proposed closures in the late spring or early summer.

Other proposed changes to the library service include reducing the opening hours at the flagship Jubilee Library, in Brighton, and the Carnegie Library, in Hove.

Council customer services teams are also expected to move into the main libraries from May.

At the time of writing, more than 1,400 people had signed the petition – entitled Prevent Closure of the Beloved Rottingdean Library – on the Change.org website.