POOLE’S threatened mobile library has been reprieved until at least the middle of next year.

A decision on whether to axe the service has been put off by the communities overview and scrutiny committee, with a recommendation to cabinet to defer it until next year.

Officers put forward £200,000 worth of savings which included replacing the ageing mobile library vehicle, however it was decided more time was needed for alternative providers to plan how they would establish and run community libraries.

The mobile library is used by 191 residents in areas where there are no branch libraries and 154 living in sheltered housing and residential homes, costing £50,000 a year to run.

Consultation resulted in 59 per cent of home stop respondents and 56 per cent of public stop residents saying withdrawing the service would have a major effect on them.

The proposals are to replace the service with small community-run libraries in outlying locations run by residents and volunteers, with books and support from Poole libraries, and expand the Home Library Service delivered by the Royal Voluntary Service.

Cllr Jane Pratt, chairman of the committee, said: “We believe the alternative services we plan to offer will improve the service reach of public libraries to local communities in Poole.”

She added: “We recognise however that time is needed to ensure that the community libraries work to the best of their potential, which is why we have recommended that the final decision is deferred until we are happy with the alternative services.”

Cllr Xena Dion, cabinet portfolio holder for libraries, said she welcomed the recommendation, which will go to cabinet on December 9, as they needed to ensure any alternative worked well for local residents.

“However, once this work has taken place, we believe the alternative services we plan to offer will, when fully installed, improve the reach of public libraries to local communities in Poole,” she added.