Ceredigion council will move ahead with plans to take Aberaeron library out of the town centre despite vehement public opposition and a recommendation from councillors to defer a decision until more work is carried out to understand the impact on the disabled and elderly.

At a Cabinet meeting on 1 October, members backed a proposal to move the library from the town centre to Ceredigion County Council’s headquarters at Penmorfa.

Almost 900 responses were received during a consultation over the cash-saving plans, with the “proposal and public consultation provoked a strong response from the public.”

896 responses were received – 91 per cent of which disagreed with the planned move away from its current County Hall base.

The “key concerns” included the loss of footfall for local businesses and the increased walking distance making it unusable for those with physical limitations.

A public meeting held in July met the plans with “anger” and warned that elderly library users would find it hard to access the new facility except by car.

Last week, members of a council scrutiny committee called on the Cabinet to defer a decision for a site visit to take place to ascertain what could be done with the current building and to assess the impact on the elderly and disabled and how they would access Penmorfa to use the library.

Cllr Elizabeth Evans told Cabinet that “people who live in Aberaeron will have to get in their cars” to get to the new library” into a building that “is effectively an island” away from the town.

Cllr Evans said that County Hall is a “special building” for the people of the town

“You are putting the disabled and elderly at an unfair disadvantage,” she added.

Cabinet member Catrin MS Davies “acknowledged” that access isn’t perfect and would be easier for those who drive, but would be “more convenient for a lot of people.”

Cabinet members were warned that if the move wasn’t given the go ahead then either Aberaeron or Lampeter library would have to close completely to reach the service’s savings target of £70,000.

“The other option is to do what other local authorities are doing and shut libraries,” Cllr MS Davies said.

“If we don’t do this we will be pushed to close libraries and that is the truth.”

Cllr Marc Davies told Cabinet members that they “are ignoring the views of the people.”

“You have a responsibility to listen to the people of Ceredigion and Aberaeron,” he said.

Cllr Gareth Lloyd asked “what is the point” of consultations “if we don’t listen to what people say?”

Moving Aberaeron library will save around £30,000 out of the £70,000 the library service plans to cut from its budget, with changes to the other three libraries in the county also mooted in a bid to find the savings.

A similar relocation move for Lampeter library is still being investigated.

The County Hall building, when the library moves, will be redeveloped and let out for commercial uses.