Narberth Town Council are unanimously in favour of starting negotiations in a bid to take over the town’s library building.

At their monthly meeting on Tuesday night, those members present all showed an interest in council looking into the feasibility of them taking on the St. James Street building.

As previously reported, former Mayor, Clr. Mrs. Sue Rees, is spearheading a campaign to save the library from the county council’s cost saving axe and has suggested the town council step in in an attempt to save the facility from closing.

Speaking at Tuesday night’s meeting, Clr. Mrs. Rees explained that under her idea, council would lease the building from the county council on a peppercorn rent, while the library service would continue to be run by the local authority. A Friends of Narberth Library group would hopefully ensure the library would be able to stay open longer than the six hours proposed by Pembrokeshire County Council, while council themselves could use the building’s offices for their own and the main library section for their meetings.

“We need to express an official interest in acquiring the the building to keep the library in the town in principle,” she said.

“It is a nice building which has recently been refurbished and would be an official proper home for the council.”

Council agreed to enter into negotiations with Pembrokeshire County Council.