A FURIOUS row has broken out over the refurbishment of Halesowen Library which critics say has left it ‘no better than a village library’.

Social services have taken over part of the Cornbow Centre building and the subsequent library reorganisation has left the ‘reference library decimated’ and the town’s most historic books in danger of being stolen.

Library campaigner Tim Clitheroe brought the issue up at the Halesowen Area Committee Meeting at Earls School last Wednesday.

He said: “I am disgusted what has happened to Halesowen Library, it is absolutely awful, and what was a thriving community facility has been reduced to a shadow of its former self.

“Dudley Council has managed to spend £48,000 of public money on making something worse than it was in the first place. I think this case should be referred to the district auditor.

“The reference library, which is at the core of any library, has been decimated in the changes and there are not even tables and chairs to read the town’s most important documents on.

“And some of the most important books in Halesowen are now left on open shelves so who knows how long they will be there for before they get stolen.”

He added: “I am sad to say that I went on holiday to a village recently and its library facilities were now better than Halesowen.”

Halesowen South Councillor David Vickers said: “I new absolutely nothing about these changes to Haleoswen Library until they were done.

“I have been inundated with complaints from residents about what has happened and as local councillors we should have been consulted.”

Chairman of the area committee Belle Vale Councillor Bob James ordered a review in to the state of the library.

He said: “I know there have been a lot of complaints about the library and I want a report in to the changes, we should have been made aware what was happening.”

Cradley and Foxcote Councillor Tim Crumpton blamed the state of the library on Halesowen councillors and Dudley Council.

He said: “There is no point the Conservative councillors for Halesowen complaining about what has happened to the library because they saw the papers about the reorganisation of the libraries in Dudley.

“And their Conservative administration was behind what has happened to the libraries in the borough so there is no point now complaining about it now they should have done something.”