BURLEY Parish Council has agreed to defer a decision on the sale of the village's library for six months until fully costed alternatives can be explored.

The poor state of the building had led parish councillors to put forward a plan to sell the library for development with the proceeds used to redevelop the Queen's Hall to include some form of library facilities.

However this plan was opposed by campaign group the Save Our Library Site who wish to retain the library in its current location. District councillors had also called on the parish council to postpone a decision at their meeting on September 14, until alternatives had been fully costed.

A spokesman for Burley Parish Council said: "The sale of a public asset such as the library is clearly a big issue, as was seen by the large public turnout to the meeting. Several members of the public felt strongly that a decision to sell the site should be deferred to allow more time to develop a business case for both sites, and that disposal should be seen as a last resort. There was a strong body of opinion that the both the library building and the Queen's Hall have a place in the village.

"The Parish Council agreed with this sentiment, and the decision on the future of the library site was deferred for six months, and until after a joint consultation with the Save Our Library Site group and the community as a whole, where fully costed alternatives would be presented to residents for their views. This should be available early in the New Year."

The parish council purchased the freehold of the building last year and with the help of over 50 volunteers continue to provide a range of services on the site from lending books to the provision of space for meetings.