LOCAL MP George Kerevan has branded plans to close Musselburgh Library and move it into The Brunton “short-sighted”.

The proposals are being looked at as part of an East Lothian Council review of how it uses public buildings.

The Courier reported how the plan was revealed by Councillor Fraser McAllister during a recent meeting of the council’s cabinet, where councillors were discussing changes to the mobile library service.

Mr McAllister, Musselburgh West, said he had been concerned by reports of a feasibility study carried out into the future of the library on Bridge Street.

Mr Kerevan visited the library recently and said afterwards: “I am so sad to see Musselburgh Library, such a bright and friendly space, is threatened with closure.

“Yes, it would move into The Brunton, and yes, there would be public toilets, but the space currently being proposed is smaller and on the first floor. And it would lose its garden.

“This cannot be allowed to happen. Surely the current building can be repaired and extended – there is lots of room out the front.

“Just look at the programme of activities going on there at the moment. The staff have just been retrained to help out with the dreaded Universal Credit applications, which can only be made online.

“East Lothian Council has already shut down its mobile libraries – there were three at one point – and now is going after Musselburgh. How short-sighted can you be?”

He said he would never have gone to university if it hadn’t been for his local library, adding: “It will be the same for young people from modest backgrounds today.”

East Lothian Council has confirmed it was planning to carry out an investigation into the future of the library following a review of ‘Face to Face Services’ it carried out in 2013.

A spokesperson previously told the Courier: “The report [from that review] in November 2013 made a series of recommendations, one of which was to review Musselburgh Library.

“This was because within the current building disabled access could be improved and it has no public toilets.

“There is to be a feasibility study probably in the autumn to see whether the library could be co-located within The Brunton or within any other public building in Musselburgh. This is part of a larger Joint Asset Management Strategy. There will be involvement with the area partnership, the community council and the local community once this project commences.”