A PLANNED library service in Highbridge could become a reality in the coming weeks after town councillors voted to allocate the project £10,000.
Sedgemoor Community Partnership, which manages Morland Community Hub, sought £13,924 for the project.
The partnership has also proposed bringing a defibrillator to the hub and expanding its existing food pantry service by moving its headquarters to Trowbridge Close.
The partnership’s chairman, Roger Keen, said the plans remain “very workable” with £10,000, and he is looking forward to getting work on the project underway.
The decision was made by the Burnham & Highbridge Town Council’s Finance and Resources Committee on Monday, September 26.
Nine other community groups received funding allocations ranging from £2,500 to £500.
Because the Morland Hub grant is over £5,000, it will need to be ratified by the full council on Monday evening (October 3).
Read more: Library service could return to Highbridge if funding bid is approved
Mr Keen told the Weekly News: “We’re very happy with the £10,000, and it’s very workable.
“We can still get most of the library equipment, cover the rent, and get the defibrillator. We can also cover the rent for Trowbridge for the whole year.
“We might have to scale back how many library shelves we have in place. Everything will go through, provided the town council ratifies it on Monday.”
He added: “We will have to use a little bit more of our own funding than we would have liked, but that’s not a problem. I’ll start the process of getting everything going after the ratification on Monday.
“Hopefully, within two or three weeks, we will have something going, and then we will build it up from there.
“I’ve got a meeting with County Libraries on Tuesday about how we are going to proceed with books and everything. I will be putting the orders in for all the equipment on Tuesday.
“I know the ladies who are going to be running the project are delighted and can’t wait to start. Everybody seems to be very supportive of it, and we know there is a lot of support for it.”
Highbridge has not had a library since 2018, when the town's facility was closed by Somerset County Council (SCC) “in a bid to keep costs down”.
The new agreement will see SCC's library services provide books for the facility, which will be rotated every few months.
Initially, the partnership aims to run the library, which will be linked with a café, on one day a week.
Moving the food pantry to Trowbridge Close will mean the partnership can support its 50 families more easily and gives it room to increase its capacity.
The next Burnham & Highbridge Town Council meeting will be held at its chamber in Old Courthouse, Jaycroft Road, between 7pm and 9pm on Monday, October 3.
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