A District councillor has vowed that Ipplepen will not lose its library, no matter what Devon County Council decides – and he personally will provide a mobile cabin to house the library.
Cllr Vic Elliott, who serves on Ipplepen Parish Council as well as Teignbridge Council, is opposed to the proposed closure of Ipplepen library. The county council said the library should close because the building was in a poor condition and there was a 'low usage level'.
A spokeswoman said: 'At Ipplepen the library has to shut if falling snow settles, as the roof of the post-war Horsa hut is not strong enough to bear its weight.'
Ipplepen residents have protested fiercely since the news broke in January of the county council's plans, demonstrating outside the library, appearing on television news and writing numerous letters to their MP and county councillors.
'How dare they try to close our library? It's an outrage,' said a disgruntled villager yesterday. The same man thought Cllr Elliott's plan to house the library in his cabin was 'brilliant'.
Cllr Elliott has difficulty finding a site for the mobile cabin, which is about the same size as the current library. 'The present library is on land belonging to the Methodist Chapel,' he said. 'We've got to find somewhere accessible for all and close to the centre of the village.'
The library action group has written to the village hall committee to ask if the mobile cabin could be put in the car park there, and another possibility is in the grounds of the heath centre. 'We will get somewhere to put it,' said Cllr Elliott. 'I'll not let them close our library.' The county spokeswoman said: 'We have not heard from Cllr Elliott. No decisions have been made on possible library closures. 'The proposed consultation procedures will be going before the Executive Committee on April 11.'