THE first formal meeting of the Friends of North Petherton Library takes place on Monday (October 22).

The gathering will get underway from 7pm at the small hall of the Community Centre.

The group was set up after a public meeting in June, arranged by the North Petherton Town Council, to respond to Somerset County Council’s proposed plans to cut back its library service.

Since then a Steering Group, helped by town councillors, has been working on operational arrangements and a draft constitution, and these will be put before the meeting.

On Tuesday, (October 16) Somerset County Council confirmed North Petherton Library would be one of the libraries recommended to close unless a 'Community Partnership' arrangement can be made.

Mayor of North Petherton, Cllr Alan Bradford, said “The town council has provided financial support to the county council, for a number of years ... but it now looks like the full cost of having a library in the town will fall on local people.

"It is vital everyone who believes that this facility should be retained comes to this meeting and works with us to secure the future of our library.”

Somerset County Councillor for North Petherton Bill Revans added: “I am hugely disappointed that Somerset County Council has now confirmed that funding for North Petherton library will be ended. 

"North Petherton Town Council has been very proactive in seeking a Community Library Partnership to carry on our library service.

"The community now need to get behind this initiative to find a sustainable solution to keep the library open."