IT is no surprise to hear the public are “crying out” for a resolution over the future of St Helens Central Library and that some councillors are fielding daily complaints about its ongoing closure.

The situation (see the article here) has dragged on for far too long and the lack of communication from the town hall with the public has, quite frankly, not been good enough.

St Helens has been without its primary library for some 19 months because of its damaged ceiling. And judging by the latest comments by the cabinet member responsible for libraries there does not appear to be a solution.

The absence of a Central Library leaves the public without a vital resource, one which is of particularly good access for pensioners and families, given its location next to the bus station. It also harms and diminishes the town centre, as the venue was a reason that visitors would head into St Helens.

Then, there is the history and heritage of the Gamble Institute that houses the library. The building was gifted to the people by Sir David Gamble and the public’s sentimental attachment to it is particularly strong.

That is one of the reasons why many Star readers are dismayed by the ongoing closure and are becoming fearful for what the future holds for the building (which still houses council employees in offices inside).

Labour’s Haydock Councillor Martin Bond deserves credit for speaking out on the issue and is right to question whether repair costs (believed to be in the region of £427,000) could be raised externally. Are heritage grant funding applications or crowdfunding being considered? And, in the meantime, is a temporary solution to house the library going to be found?

St Helens has an excellent network of community libraries, with their leaders and staff showing innovation, imagination and commitment to the service in changing times. But the absence of Central Library and the uncertainty surrounding is harmful to St Helens.

And, while accepting there are monumental funding pressures on local authorities, after waiting so long, the public deserve an update.