PLANS to shape the future of Norton Library are moving forward.

A steering group is aiming to transform the library in Commercial Street into a community hub ahead of financial cuts from North Yorkshire County Council (NYCC).

Norton library was given community status by NYCC at a meeting to debate the future of libraries across the county last July.

Councillor Elizabeth Shields, the county council member for Norton, who chairs the steering group, said great efforts had been made to progress the development of the library, including a recent questionnaire which had been sent to residents.

Following the survey mailed throughout Norton and many of the adjoining villages during March, invitations were sent to people who had responded stating they would like to volunteer to help in some way to maintain the library to a coffee morning with about 60 residents attending.

Coun Shields said: "We have, of course, come from a position of being virtually ignored by the county council.

"It had been suggested that to save money, Norton could join with Malton library in a building at the railway station. However Norton people, including myself, had other ideas."

Coun Shields said in the past 18 months, after a public meeting encouraging residents to save their library, there has been significant progress.

"Interested members formed a steering group initially to discuss plans to publicise not only the library, but its building," she said.

"The aim is to make it a community centre, retaining the main library and the children's area but also utilising the garage space once used by the mobile library service vans."

Under the guidance and advice of Sarah Robinson, manager of the Stronger Communities at NYCC, trustees have been appointed, a business plan is in preparation in order to seek a lease from the county council and charitable status is being sought.

Coun Shields said volunteers have also been asked to record their particular interest, including assisting in the library itself, advising on IT, joining the steering group or indeed, offering any experience and advice they wished.

"Plans for the use of the library building are being masterminded by a member of the steering group and former county planning officer Michael Gwilliam, following the appointment of a local architect," she said.

"This will take two stages, the first will see extra toilet facilities, a new kitchen and the development of the garage space into three separate rooms for meetings and activities, with plans for a cafe and designs for the area outside the building to follow."