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Libraries closures leave council to repay grants

Libraries  closures leave council to repay grants

Campaigners have questioned the logic of shutting libraries in Moray as it would mean paying back more than £72,000 of grants to Europe.

Seven of the region’s 15 libraries are due to close at the end of this month.

Moray Council, which voted by a majority to axe the seven facilities, says the move will save taxpayers £357,000 annually. However, five of the libraries were modernised by the council three years ago using European grant money.

A condition of the grants was that the facilities would remain open for five years.

Vivien Hendry is leading the campaign group’s legal fight to have the closure decision taken to a judicial review at the Court of Session. A total of £175,000 was spent in 2010 moving her local library in Hopeman into the village’s primary school.

Of that total, £27,277 came from European funding. She said: “It all adds to the impression of the council being short-sighted.

“I can’t see any future applications which Moray Council makes for European funding being looked on favourably in the light of how they have squandered this cash.”

A Moray Council spokesman said: “In considering the closure of those libraries part funded by European funding, members were aware that there might be a requirement to pay back all or some of the grants received specific to that provision.

“It has now been confirmed that all of the European Funding received would need to be repaid.” The spokesman said that the money would first be paid to the Scottish Government, which would in turn reimburse the European Regional Development Fund.

The council received grants of £27,277 for Hopeman, £11,443 for Burghead, £5,438 for Portknockie, £14,100 for Dufftown and £14,091 for Rothes – a total of £72,349.