COMMUNITY groups will take over the running of five libraries in the Vale of Glamorgan to maintain a "comprehensive and effective service".

The recommendations of a report were agreed to by the Vale of Glamorgan Council at a cabinet meeting yesterday.

Cllr Stuart Egan proposed that the cabinet agreed the establishment of community libraries in Wenvoe, St Athan and Rhoose by no later than May 31. 

The others are at Dinas Powys and Sully.

He also recommended that the local authority begins to enter into legal, lease and transfer of asset agreements with community groups.

The local authority agreed to pay a total of £97,310 to cover start up costs and building maintenance.

If it legal agreements are not finalised within one year or more, a further report will be presented to cabinet.

There will be a progress report presented to cabinet one year after the libraries have been taken into community group ownership.

The council has been working with community groups in Dinas Powys, Sully, Wenvoe, St Athan and Rhoose since May 2015 to help them prepare to take over the running of their local libraries. 

The transfer of these five libraries is part of a larger reshaping of the Vale of Glamorgan Council’s library service which it is estimated will result in savings of £525,000 during 2015/16 and 2016/17.

Cllr Egan, said: “A huge amount of work has been undertaken by all those involved to bring us to this point. 

"In the five community groups we have found teams of individuals as passionate about the library service as we are. 

"If the transfer of the libraries is now able to go ahead, as we all hope it will, then I have no doubt that these groups will prove to be excellent custodians of these much valued assets.”

Work towards the transfer of the five libraries to the community has been underway since a strategy to safeguard the Vale’s libraries for the future was agreed in March 2015.

Expressions of interest in running the county’s smaller libraries were sought in May 2015 and since this time the council has been providing training to the groups that came forward and helping them to develop their plans to run the facilities. 

If community libraries are established then, as well as the library buildings, the groups would be provided with a wide selection of books which will be regularly updated, access to books from other libraries, furniture, and IT equipment.

Once established, the community libraries will continue to receive support and guidance from the council’s library team.

Vale of Glamorgan assembly member, Andrew RT Davies welcomed the decision saying that many residents and community groups have campaigned defiantly to ensure the focal role of the local library was maintained.

“Frankly it should never have come to this, but as residents across the Vale we now need to hold the Vale of Glamorgan council to account to ensure they fully support the community groups over the years ahead to ensure this key service continues to be delivered," he said.

“Libraries play a vital role in the local community and whilst the role of the local library has changed over the years, they remain important for both cultural and social reasons and I am pleased that they will be run and looked after by people who have its best interests at heart.”