CIRENCESTER library may stay in the town centre during the six-month £1.2million modernisation programme, following complaints from the town's residents.

Gloucestershire County Council (GCC) had planned to house a temporary library at Chesterton Primary School, a 15-minute walk from the town centre, when the work begins in September.

After inquiries from the Standard this week, however, the Cotswold District Council (CDC) has said a town centre site might now be a possibility.

CDC has said the county council could use either the Sheep Street, Old Station or Waterloo car parks.

However, GCC would have to pay compensation for the loss of parking revenue and this would take money out of the refurbishment budget.

Deryck Nash, county councillor for Chesterton, said: "The re-opening of discussions to allow the temporary library to be sited in a CDC car park is to be applauded.

"The school is always the best out of town option but obviously somewhere in the middle of the town would be better for the community as a whole.

"But bearing in mind that the costs of providing all the services and any ground rent will have to come out of the total refurbishment budget I hope that an amicable agreement can be reached for the good of the community as a whole."

CDC spokesman Claire McGine explained why the district council was pushing for compensation and said: "We cannot expect CDC taxpayers to pay for a county council service. The offer is on the table and it's up to them to decide what they want to do."

Cirencester mother-of-two, Jo Rance, 36, said her children, who are both avid readers, would no longer be able to use the library if it were in Chesterton.

"My son reads about seven books a week but he won't want to cycle all that way after riding home from school," she said.

"My daughter has to walk and would have to use an underpass, so there's no way I'd let her go at night.

"I know my children read more than most but for old people who cannot afford books it really is too far to walk.

"If it gets put in a town centre car park then all the people who use it now will be able to keep using it. That's far more important than attracting new people."

The county council is now considering all the options before reaching a final decision.

The new library will open in spring 2008 with a new range of facilities and toilets.