Hundreds sign petition demanding South Beach Library in Blyth reopens

A total of 645 people on the South Beach estate in Blyth have signed a petition calling on Northumberland County Council to South Beach Library back into use.

It closed in line with government advice when coronavirus broke out, but has yet to reopen.

Prior to the Covid crisis, the library was open for four hours a week, but as a result of vacancies and “unplanned staff absences” within the council’s library service, it is yet to reopen in any capacity.

The council has said it shares the ambition of residents to reopen the library, and has also acknowledged that, ideally, the provision would extend beyond the four weekly hours offered pre-pandemic.

At Wednesday’s meeting of the council’s Ashington and Blyth Local Area Council, interim service director Nigel Walsh addressed local councillors on the matter.

He said: “We do share the same ambition, we would like to see a widening of library services in the South Beach area. The previous four hours does not satisfy the ambition of the community.

“We’re looking to broker a partnership working with local residents, stakeholders and organisations to build a partnership whereby being creative we can expand the opening hours and look at a different model of library provision.”

Coun Carolyn Ball said it was vital the community did not lose the service.

She said: “I really feel that we should not be closing a library anywhere in Northumberland. The work the staff do is second to none.

“We need a really quick decision – it’s a great resource, from getting kids into reading to benefits advice, it’s absolutely brilliant and we can’t lose this service here or anywhere else in Northumberland.

“My big concern is people get used to not having a library around and it doesn’t reopen.”

The committee agreed to receive the petition and noted the steps being taken to re-provide library services after the pandemic.