NEXT Monday will see a decision being made over the future of Bidford Library.

The county council run library is one of 16, which Warwickshire County Council is ceasing to operate as of April next year as part of a bid to save money.

However the local community in Bidford has come together with a well-informed business plan, which its hoping will enable it to maintain the library building and run the service with volunteers.

Parish councillor Mike Gerrard said: “The plan is for a library which is run, managed and looked after by volunteers in Bidford. We’ll have a team of trustees, and there are more than 70 people who have said they’re willing to volunteer. Everybody from the managers of the library, to the cleaners of the library. Indications are that Warwickshire County Council will approve that approach.

“At this stage we’re waiting for Warwickshire County Council to say yes. We can go ahead. The next stage will be we’ll start calling together the potential volunteers, and we’ll start briefing and training them.”

Although the Bidford proposals have already been presented to the council, Monday’s meeting of the council’s communities overview and scrutiny committee will be where the future gets decided for the people of Bidford, with decisions being made over whether they can continue to run the premises currently occupied by the council-run library.

If things don’t go their way, Coun Gerrard is not quite ready to fade away gracefully into the night.

He added: “Obviously if it wasn’t accepted we’d clearly have to think again, and we’d have to be pretty quick, but I’m feeling positive about it at the moment. A lot of people have put a lot of time and a lot of careful thought into our plans.”

If anyone would still like to volunteer their time or services to help the community proposals for the future of Bidford Library, they can get into touch with parish clerk Elisabeth Uggerløse on 01789 778653.