Evington Village LibraryBy Mickey Evans
Leicester City Council’s Transforming Neighbourhoods Service has stopped taking public feedback concerning the potential closure of Evington Village Library.
Significant cuts in government funding to Leicester City Council mean that the council must review neighbourhood services in order to assess their affordability.
Evington Village Library is one of 11 neighbourhood buildings targeted by the council.
The library, although considered to be past its prime by some, still offers a place for students of nearby schools to study as well as easy computer and internet access to the elderly residents of the village.
The ‘Friends of Evington’ group aim to prevent the closure of the library, arguing that it should be retained for the heritage of Evington Village.
They believe that the library should be improved rather than being discontinued by the council, and encouraged Evington village residents to have their say on the future of the library.
One village resident, Aaron Neilson, said: “I’ve lived in the village for most of my life, but I’ve never actually used the library because I have the internet at home.
“It’s a shame that it might get cut, but at the end of the day I don’t think it’d really affect me much.”
On the other hand, Simon Griffin, local student, said: “I use the library a lot because it’s a lot less crowded than the one at college.
“It would be a real shame to see it close, but I’m hopeful that the council will make the right decision.”
