A COUNCILLOR denied threatening to close a city library in frustration over the county council’s lack of action over a transport strategy.

Councillor Roger Berry suggested Worcester City Council should “hold on” to money it promised to spend on keeping Warndon and St John’s libraries open until Worcestershire County Council produces a long-awaited and much-delayed transport strategy.

Cllr Berry said a “few heads needed knocking together” at the county council and perhaps holding onto the money might get the transport study finished. Perhaps we should withdraw the support for the library service then if the county council doesn’t come to terms with it.

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“My concern is that we may have to threaten something if we are going to get people to the table [for the transport plan],” he said.

After he was criticised for making the “threat” by council leader Cllr Marc Bayliss, Cllr Berry said he had never suggested closing the library and withdrew his suggestion the council should not hand over agreed ‘collaborative’ money between the city and county council.

“Perhaps me raising it has put it as a priority. Never have I suggested closing Warndon library,” he said.

Cllr Bayliss said it was an “extraordinary proposal” to be threatening a library in Warndon and Labour councillors had led a “campaign of fear” about library closures across the city during the county council’s review last year.

“I don’t think libraries should ever be used as a pawn,” he said.

Cllr Joy Squires said the comment was out of “sheer frustration” at the lack of action over the county council’s transport strategy, which seemed to be “dragging on and on.” She said the frustration was held by many, at least privately, around the table.

Cllr Squires said it was “difficult to restrain themselves” when Cllr Geraghty, leader of the county council, was sitting at the table but only with his ‘city council hat’ on.

During last year’s budget, the city council and the other five district councils in Worcestershire, agreed to hand over extra money from the county’s 75 per cent business rate retention scheme - which meant around £4.9 million stayed in the county - to the county council to help pay for adult social care. During budget discussions, £250,000 was put aside to aid greater collaboration between county and city, of which £157,000 would be spent annually to support the running of St John’s and Warndon libraries.