Cllr Malcolm Cowan with Karen Springthorpe, holding the petetion, surrounded by other supporters outside County Hall in Hertford

The fate of a library in Hatfield, scheduled to be demolished to make way for the dreaded incinerator, will be decided today (Wednesday).

Services at the Central Resources Library, in New Barnfield, are set to be relocated as part of the council and Veolia Environmental Services’ plans to build a 380,000 tonne waste-burning facility on the land.

The move would see collections at the facility split between two locations in WGC, with the Central Reference collection heading to WGC Library at Campus West, which is currently being refurbished in anticipation of the move.

But it would mean the remaining schools library service, county art collection, distribution and technical support, mobile library services and the rest of the book collections would move to an “appropriate warehouse and distribution premises” in a yet-to-be decided location in WGC.

But library users claim the switch will reduce access to stock and prevent browsing.

Ahead of today’s decision by the local and libraries cabinet panel, a 1,500-signature petition was handed in by Welwyn resident Karen Springhtorpe, on behalf of county and Welwyn Hatfield councillor Malcolm Cowan.

“Karen did a great job and was applauded by most of the councillors present, which is very rare,” Cllr Cowan said.

“Many people are also concerned why the library has to move when it is far from certain that the incinerator at New Barnfield will go ahead anyway.”