A LIBRARY is closing and users will be sent elsewhere as its lease expires and no new home has been found.

Girlington Library in The Willow Street will close its doors on Thursday at 5.30pm as it lease expires at the end of this year.

The space was leased by Bradford Council and it will not be renewed at its current location.

People have now been asked to instead use Manningham Library, Carlisle Road, which is less than a mile away, and City Library in Centenary Square.

But Bradford Council has held talks with representatives from Girlington Community Centre, Girlington Road, and Toller ward councillors since March this year about transferring the library to its site.

It is not known how long Girlington will be without a library.

Councillor Fozia Shaheen (Lab, Toller) confirmed these talks had progressed and says she has not received any complaints from residents about the temporary closure.

She said: "We don't know how long Girlington will be without a library, it could be down to funding.

"We are getting positive vibes about moving the library's services to Girlington Community Centre.

"We are trying to work as quickly as possible to sort something out.

"We have a diverse community in Girlington that does benefit from having a library.

"The temporary closure is not a negative thing, Manningham is not a huge distance for people to travel."

There were 9,730 visits to the library last year. The official notification of closure was given on October 15.

The move means the library's current space will be closed to get it ready to be transferred to the landlord.

Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe, Bradford Council's executive member for education, skills and culture, said: "Because we are unable to renew the lease on this building, we have been working with the local community centre and ward councillors since March this year to find a suitable alternative venue.

"Once we have somewhere suitable, we aim to open as soon as possible.

"Those who currently use the library can continue to access library services at other libraries in the district, including Manningham Library which is less than a mile away."

Rubina Burhan, Girlington Community Centre manager, said: "We are looking to see if we have the space to fulfill the library's needs.

"We also held discussions with the library last year but they re-started a couple of months ago."

Girlington Library was opened in 1995 in a leased property belonging to Kensington Hall Club.

Fines and charges from Girlington Library will be waived for three weeks after the temporary closure to allow customers to return books to other locations.