Plans to either turn Molesey library into a volunteer run service or close it have been put on hold.

The Conservative cabinet at Surrey County Council had planned to ask local communities to run 11 libraries, including the library in West Molesey.

Without volunteer support it warned they would otherwise close.

But during a Safer and Stronger Communities Committee at SCC on Tuesday, February, 22, councillors voted to put to put the plans on hold until the completion of a full consultation.

Hazel Watson, leader of the Lib Dems at SCC, welcomed the news.

She said: "The decision to ask the Conservative cabinet to look again at the proposals, which are disastrous for those communinities served by the 11 branch libraries and the mobile library service, as well as those libraries that would face similar threats of closure further down the line, is excellent news.

"The Conservative cabinet should now scrap the plans, which would save very small amounts of money."

Councillor Denise Saliagopoulos, cabinet member for community services, told the committee the idea had never been to save money but to encourage people to play a larger role in the running of their libraries.