Hundreds sign petition to stop closure of Calderdale village hall and library

The amenities in Shelf, Halifax, are to close by the end of March under proposals by Calderdale Council.

Residents in the village said they have seen amenities increasingly dwindle over recent years due to cuts, and that the latest proposals were “a further blow to a once thriving village”.

More than 1,000 people have signed the petition, which calls for the library to remain open under subsidy of residents’ council tax while inviting the council to review potential for the village hall to be run by a locally appointed trustee.

David Wager, secretary of the friends of Shelf Hall Park group who created the petition, said: “Those signing the petition are asking the council to provide at least six months, or longer, if lockdown restrictions are not lifted, to pursue options for an alternative future for the library and village hall.”

Villagers have also argued that the decision to close the library could not be based on “cost alone” as data shows that it currently ranks as fourth among a list of 16 branches in the Calderdale area which are not currently designated as hubs.

Mr Wager added: “The petition has gained enough support to trigger a council scrutiny panel to review information supplied at a meeting convened for the purpose.”