Wiveliscombe Area Partnership (WAP) have been confirmed as the lead partner to negotiate with the County Council to run a Community Library Partnership (CLP) for Wiveliscombe library.
As proposed at the community meeting on 25 October, the County Council will be funded to manage and staff the library with WAP taking responsibility for managing the building. SCC will also provide the books, back office systems and £9,000 per year. The Town Council has committed £8,500 and further contributions are being sought from neighbouring parish councils.
Time to complete the arrangements is tight and need to be put in place by mid-February.
The Plan
If all proceeds smoothly, the new Community Library Partnership will take over on 1 April 2019 and allow the library to be kept open for the same hours, staffed by a librarian, as currently. In time, more community involvement and further improvements could be considered.
The announcement was made today by Wiveliscombe Town Council. Marian Mann, chair of the Town Council’s library working group, who said, “Councillors are very pleased that a solution has been found for the way forward and we can start the new year with a bright looking future for the library.”
Marian, Tim Parker and I presented a report to the Town Council on 10 December, with a motion to take us step-by-step through decisions needed. It was agreed:
• To allocate £8,500 in the Town Council’s 2019/20 annual budget for the library.
• To seek additional funding, including a total of £1-2,000 per annum from neighbouring Parish Councils.
• To establish a Town Council library working group, consisting of Marian Mann, Tim Parker, Fodo Higginson, Eddie Gaines and myself.
• The Town Council would not be the lead partner entering into a Community Library Partnership and community groups interested in this role were invited to come forward to the library working group by 14 December.
See reports presented to Wiveliscombe Town Council on the library.
Dave Mansell
UPDATE (8/2/19): Good progress is being made on arrangements and contracts for the new Community Library Partnership for Wiveliscombe. An extension to SCC’s deadline for signing these has been agreed, which is now 27 February 2019.
A GREEN VIEW for Wiveliscombe and Upper Tone 
Congratulations to Dave Mansell and all those both on and off the Town Council who have worked tirelessly to bring this issue to a successful conclusion. This is democracy in action!