LAUNCESTON Town Council could apply for money from a new ‘local devolution fund’ to help cover the cost of research into the town’s library.

At their January meeting, town councillors agreed to appoint business consultancy ‘Perfect Moment’ to carry out research to help the council in considering the future of the library — at a cost of around £11,000.

The town council has been in discussion with Cornwall Council about the potential devolution of the library — although no decision has been made on whether the running of it will be handed over to the town council.

The consultancy would review the town council’s services, and the way forward with the town council’s assets, to use them to the best of its ability. A final report from the consultancy would also include the current full cost of running the library.

At a meeting of the town council last week, town clerk Rita Skinner spoke of the local devolution fund, telling councillors: “There is this fund of money, courtesy of Cornwall Council, almost £5,000 per ward councillor within the community network, to help progress devolution.”

Ms Skinner suggested the Perfect Moment consultation might be a good use of any money they could secure from that fund: “It was a lot of money and wasn’t something we would do otherwise.

“Presumably other parishes will have other ideas they want to bring forward as well.”

Liberal Democrat Cornwall Councillor for Launceston North and North Petherwin Adam Paynter said: “There are a number of other proposals in the area — we do need to look at the whole area.”

Cllr John Conway said he ‘formally proposed’ the town council make an application to the fund: “For the full amount, and if we get any amount at all we would be grateful for it.”

However, Cllr Paynter, was asked to check with the community network manager first whether the suggestion would be eligible for the new funding.

Cornwall Council announced last month it was launching a £608,000 local devolution fund to enable community network panels to assist devolution and partnership working within their local areas.

The fund’s primary purpose is to help support Cornwall Council’s devolution programme, through which assets and services are being devolved to local communities, via local councils or community groups.

The funding has been made available by Cornwall Council’s cabinet, using a small proportion of the under-spend on the 2014/2015 council budget.

The Cornwall councillors in each area will make recommendations on how the funding should be spent, in consultation with their local panel. The panels do not have the power to make funding decisions themselves, as they are not formal council committees, so the recommendations will be considered by the council’s cabinet member for localism, Jeremy Rowe.

Some Launceston town councillors went on a visit to Plymouth’s Devonport library and Plymstock’s library.

The visit to the two libraries took place last Wednesday, and mayor Cllr Brian Hogan said it was ‘well worth the journey’.

He said: “Both were totally different in their take on things — they have made them into, I suppose, community hubs.

“The purpose of the visit was to look at what type of services we could provide and how other libraries were utilising the space.”

Cllr Hogan said the councillors’ thoughts on the visit will be reported back to the town council’s full meeting next month.