HUNDREDS of people have signed a petition against the closure of Chipping Sodbury Library.

The online petition calling for the library in High Street to be spared under South Gloucestershire Council’s latest round of savings has so far racked up more than 250 signatures.

The petition, on social campaign site 38 Degrees, coincides with a consultation on the future of library services launched on Monday (February 22) by the council. Three options in the consultation involve closing the library which the council says does not have enough unique users, with many also accessing at the bigger Yate Library less than one mile away, to warrant its £42,000 annual costs.

Old Sodbury resident Juan Nuevo, who is spearheading the petition, said: “Most people I have spoken to want the library to be kept open and not many people have been unwilling to sign the petition.

“So far we have over 250 signatures which is good but I will be out in coffee shops and at the library in the coming weeks to gain more support for the campaign.

“We want to keep it open, that is our main aim. It is vital for the community – most users are elderly or have young children.”

The 12-week public consultation was given the go ahead at a full South Gloucestershire Council meeting last Wednesday (February 17) which approved a Conservative motion to spend a government grant on cutting the district’s opt-in green bin charge by £6, opposed by Liberal Democrat and Labour councillors who wanted to use the money to safeguard libraries.

Cllr Rob Creer, Chipping Sodbury’s Conservative representative who voted in favour of a Liberal Democrat motion to protect the library but then to approve the cut on green bins, has been reassuring residents this week that he will continue to campaign in support of the library.

In a statement, he said: “As a councillor for Chipping Sodbury ward I am opposed to the closure of Chipping Sodbury Library and will support any efforts from any quarter to keep it open.

“However, my concern is that we must find a way to put our local library on a sustainable, long-term footing. The Liberal Democrat motion put forward at council last Wednesday would simply be sticking plaster which would mean we are just moving the issue further down the line.

“I will therefore continue to work with the council leadership and local residents to try and find a sustainable solution that is acceptable to the local community. I urge people to take part in the consultation and have their say.”

People are encouraged to reply to the consultation individually as petitions will only count as one response. The council says it welcomes other ideas to save money from its library but keep services running. Visit the consultation pages of southglos.gov.uk