Councillors have voted against a request to 'top up' the library fund so Sandbach Library could remain open on Thursday afternoons.

Sandbach Town Council was told at a full council meeting last night (Wednesday) that Thursday afternoon was the quietest time for the library.

Councillors were asked to consider a top up fund of £17,000 to keep the library open on that afternoon.

But councillors voted against the plan, arguing it was not a good use of public money.  

Sandbach Nub News told here how Cheshire East Council voted in favour of reduced library hours across the area to save cash.

Not all Sandbach town councillors voted in favour of last night's request, including Councillor Nicola Cook, pictured below, who is angry about the decision.

She said: "The cost 17k a year, a cost to the Council which would ensure that vulnerable, isolated, individuals, some who need some help with things like paying on line bills, would have a safe place to be.

(Photo: Cheshire East Council)

"To quote Eleanor Crumblehulme, a library assistant, "cutting libraries during a recession is like cutting hospitals during a plague."

Cllr Cook said she was "genuinely appalled" that other councillors had chosen not to support "this much-loved service".

But Councillor Mark Mitchell explained why he and many others had chosen to vote against the top up.

(Photo: Mark Mitchell)

He said: "The proposal would cost £51,000 over three years and could add up to 2.3% onto Council Tax for band D rate payers.

"The Labour group carefully considered the proposal however it was felt that spending such a large amount of money to open the library for an extra four hours a week only, during the library's quietest period, did not represent value for Sandbach tax payers and therefore the Labour group declined the proposal."