THE fate of Lechlade library could be in the hands of Fairford residents after councillors agreed to give the public a say on a library time giveaway.

Lechlade library is on the brink of having its funding cut by Gloucestershire County Council and could close for good if volunteers do not step in to run it.

And in a last push to secure a partnership library service with GCC, Lechlade campaigners have asked Fairford to hand over the nine additional library hours that they were awarded from the county council last year.

In a Fairford Town Council meeting last night, councillors were reluctant to give outright support to the scheme without consulting local library users first.

They agreed to a consultation, in which both Fairford and Lechlade residents would be asked by telephone or in writing to give their views.

The ultimate decision to carry out the consultation or reallocate library hours would lie with GCC. But county and district councillor Ray Theodoulou said that if the scheme had the backing of Fairford residents it was more likely to get the green light.

He compared the two towns as winners and losers of the county council’s system and was supportive of a solution being reached for Lechlade.

Making the case for the town at the meeting, Lechlade councillor Sue Coakley said that the extra hours would offer residents a final chance of holding on to a county library.

She added that Fairford would not be losing out as their library usage had not increased since opening hours were extended from 19 to 28 hours.

Fairford councillor Jennie Sanford suggested that if the handover was to go ahead the towns could arrange complementary opening hours to provide a more consistent service to the area. “I think the libraries should work together,” she said. “If we are in a community why don’t we give and take a little bit and open throughout the week.”

However, Cllr Martin Harwood said he was against the move. “I was elected to look after the people in Fairford,” he said. “This is a matter between Lechlade and the county council. And as much as I admire the tremendous fight they’ve put up, I do think we have a duty to the people of Fairford and therefore I wouldn’t give up even a few hours easily and I’m very sceptical of this idea.”

FTC approved a proposal to consider the library scheme put forward by Lechlade Town Council, subject to the outcome of a public consultation, with eight votes in favour and one against.