An on-line petition objecting to Highland Council's plans to move the Nairn Library to the new Nairn Academy has attracted nearly 650 signatures

Members of Nairn River Community Council were told that hard copies of the petition signed by members of the public are likely to take that figure to over 1000.

The existing library is located in the town centre in a former supermarket building which is leased to the council.

That lease is nearing an end and the owner of the building also owns a large part of the town centre car park.

Locals fear the moving the library to the school would be inaccessible because of its location and would reduce footfall in the shopping centre.

Secretary of Nairn West & Suburban CC Brian Stewart said the first option should be to undertake an appraisal of existing underused or disused public buildings in the town centre as an alternative location for the library citing Viewfield House and the police station, which now has spare capacity, as possibilities.

Loreine Thomson, Nairn River CC said she understood the previous bid for funding for a new school failed because of the lack of community provision in the plan. "National planning framework is to have libraries in the town centre so this is against planning policy."

Mandy Lawson, Nairn River CC said there was a 20th century swimming pool in Nairn and a new school shouldn't be built without a pool.

"The existing pool has an ageing plant and we could lose it to engineering problems."

The pool has already been closed for extensive repairs and concerns have been raised about the ageing plant at the facility.

Former Nairn West & Suburban Chair Sheena Baker said her choice of venue for the library would be former council finance office in Courthouse Lane which is lying empty and was of a suitable size.

"Rationalisation of all the buildings available has to come first," she said.

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