Senior Ceredigion councillors have backed a proposal to move Aberaeron’s library from the town centre to the council offices at Penmorfa, despite fears the move was a “gun to the head” done deal following a consultation that was “not fit for purpose”

Ceredigion County Council recently held a public consultation on the proposed move of the library – one of four full-time libraries in the county – from the centre of town, with potential similar proposals being mooted for Lampeter, partly due to ongoing budget pressures.

The consultation attracted just under 900 responses, the vast majority against a move from the town hall, with concerns including a loss of footfall for local businesses, increased walking distance making it unusable for those with physical limitations, and users wanting to shop and socialise in the town centre at the same time as visiting the library.

A report, asking Cabinet’s support for the proposed relocation of the library to Penmorfa at its October 1 meeting, said the current building does not meet modern standards for efficiency with "significant costs” totalling £44,760 in the last financial year.

It says the town hall building “is in a prime location and will be suitable for sympathetic redevelopment to improve its efficiency and layout to allow business and/or commercial accommodation which can replace footfall and provide employment opportunities”.

The proposed move includes a successful 2023 grant proposal, with Welsh Government funding the creation of a new library at a cost of £268,000, with members hearing the library service would have new facilities and longer opening hours.

The council, since the grant proposal, has targeted library service savings of £187,000 a year; one proposal, to the tune of £70,000, to co-locate library provision with other council services wherever possible.

It is requested cabinet supports the proposed relocation of the library into Penmorfa with an alternative proposal also included in the report: to proceed with the closure of the library service at either Aberaeron or Lampeter in order to achieve the £70,000 savings required from the library service to achieve the overall £5.8m council savings target for 2024/25.

At the October meeting, Councillor Elaine Evans called for a deferral on any decision, pending a site visit, which was not supported.

Local member Cllr Elizabeth Evans said Aberaeron was not going to get improved pedestrian access to Penmorfa any time soon.

“People living in Aberaeron will have to get in their cars; what we’re dealing with is a building that has no meaning for the people of Aberaeron, it’s an island.

“What is the main criteria for a library? A central location, that’s what we’ve got in that precious building that Ceredigion wants to develop; we’ve got a grant of £270,000 that could be repurposed down there.”

Cllr Evans said information presented “didn’t tell all of the story,” with the concerns by Aberaeron Town Council which was against the move not reflected.

“Rural communities depend on our town centres, 25,000 books leaving [the library] every year is astounding. Apart from Tregaron, we’re the smallest town; shouldn’t we have that parity of services, not a poverty of ambition in the services we provide?”

She said the report saying the impact of the move on the elderly and disabled being negligible was placing them at “an unfair disadvantage,” with the consultation paper “full of misstatements".

“In 2023 Ceredigion applied for a grant, this suggests to me this decision was predetermined and has to be ‘rubber-stamped’ here today. Residents in Ceredigion are in a constant state of disappointment, the disbelief is how you arrive at these decisions.”

She said the 900 responses to the consultation were “all at one” in opposition to the changes, describing it as “not fit for purpose,” adding: “Please reconsider this decision, I urge you please, prove me wrong and just make the right decision for the people and you will get the footfall in the library.”

She later said: “We know how this decision is going to go; you’re going to vote for the relocation. Public confidence is on its knees, and I can see why.”

Neighbouring Ciliau Aeron councillor Marc Davies said 91 per cent of those responding were against the move, with pedestrian access unlikely to improve.

“Once again decisions are being made here that aren’t going to work in Aberaeron, nothing to do with what we want; you’re ignoring the views of the local people.”

Cllr Catrin M S Davies, who had presented to item, said some 45 per cent of those responding didn’t use the library, adding: “Nobody’s talking about closing the library, if you pass this recommendation we are relocating the library.”

Another raising concerns was Cllr Gareth Lloyd, who said: “Making these decisions we are undermining the views of the public. If you’re not going to take consideration of our responses what is the point?

“Everything that comes before us is going to be difficult decisions, what is the point of consultation when the choices are out of our hands? The recommendation in front of you is a gun to your head: move Aberaeron or close either Aberaeron or Lampeter.”

Chief Executive Eifion Evans said “the enemy here is a lack of funding coming into Ceredigion,” with a need for service cuts.

“The situation we’re facing is serious, you as councillors have my sympathies, you have to make these decisions.

“We are in this situation due to the financial situation which is out of the control of anyone in this chamber; people need to sit up and note that Ceredigion as a council is being dealt with unfairly by both Welsh Government and Westminster, we are in this situation because we are being unfairly funded.”

Members overwhelmingly backed the relocation of the library to Penmorfa.

Speaking after the meeting, Cllr Evans said: “Residents and businesses will be very disappointed and dismayed at the cabinet decision.

“Cabinet paid lip service to the consultation responses and they are now putting the disabled and elderly an unfair disadvantage. Access will be a huge issue, and they have undermined the viability of this library going forward.

“A shockingly bad decision, but the wheel turns, and our library will be back in county hall one day, of that I am very confident.”