Catherine Gibbons, Labour councillor and deputy leader of North Somerset Council, has clarified her position following questions about her stance on the closure of Worle Library. Representing Milton on both Weston-super-Mare Town Council and North Somerset Council, Ms Gibbons has faced scrutiny for seemingly opposing the closure as a town councillor while being part of the council administration that approved it.
Worle Library was closed on 7 September due to the building’s poor condition, including significant wet rot and damp, which required costly repairs deemed unaffordable. The building had been the library’s home since 2017, following a move from its former purpose-built site on the Maltings, implemented under the previous Conservative-controlled council as a cost-saving measure.
Addressing the council, Ms Gibbons explained: “I would not say that I supported the closure of it. I accepted the inevitability of the fact that the building itself was no longer fit for purpose.” She emphasised that if a suitable building had been available, efforts would have been made to maintain the library, including exploring a community library model through the devolution programme with Weston Town Council.
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“Nobody who knows me would think I would consider it an ideal scenario to close a library, particularly understanding the importance of reading for young people,” she said. Pressed on whether the closure was the right decision, she added: “We had no choice. Is it ideal? No. Would I have wanted to do it if any other alternative were possible? No.”
The closure formed part of a 20% reduction in North Somerset Council’s libraries budget agreed in early 2025. Alongside Worle, Pill and Winscombe libraries were proposed for closure to achieve the savings. Ultimately, Pill Library remained open through reduced hours at other branches, while Winscombe Library is scheduled to close at the end of March 2027. No option was presented to keep Worle Library open due to its dilapidated state.
Since the decision, Ms Gibbons has actively campaigned for a community-run library to be established nearby, operated by Weston-super-Mare Town Council. Following a recent exchange with Conservative opposition leader Michael Pryke, she posted on Facebook: “My record on this is clear. It’s good to see that he and his colleagues are as keen as I am to see a community library established in Worle. I hope we can put politics aside and work together to make it happen.”