A SUPPORT group claims that it has public support for a scheme to keep Church Stretton Library in the town centre and run it as a community enterprise.

The Church Stretton Library Support Group set up a stall adjacent to the Thursday market in Church Stretton.

In addition to explaining how it intended to fund and run the library in close co-operation with the town council, it gave members of the public an opportunity to show their support by allocating a notional amount of funding to the library in its current location and to the swimming pool and Visitor Information Centre (VIC).

It is claimed that this revealed a majority preference for funding the library in its current building in an exciting partnership between the town council and a charitable organisation.

Many also expressed support for the pool, recognising its importance to children and to Church Stretton as a tourist town.

The VIC was also seen as important for tourism and its natural home was in the library.

“Church Stretton residents were very interested indeed in our plans to keep the library where it is and run it in close co-operation between a new charitable organisation and the town council and for these two organisations to share the costs,” said Felicity Thomas, of the Library Support Group.