Save Rottingdean Library
Save Rottingdean Library
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Last chance - please write (again) to councillors!
Last chance - please write (again) to councillors!
The consultation period has now closed
- but it's not too late to lobby the Councillors
who will be voting on closure on 11th December
The consultation period has now closed
- but it's not too late to lobby the Councillors
who will be voting on closure on 11th December
Points to raise:
Your personal/ family experience of using Rottingdean library
Local impact on children and older people
Difficulty of access to alternative libraries
Importance of library as a village community hub for all
BHCC Council
Brighton & Hove City Council, Hove Town Hall, Norton Road, Hove, BN3 3BQ, UK
Bella Sankey (Council Leader) Bella.Sankey@brighton-hove.gov.uk
Alan Robins (Sports, recreation and libraries) alan.robins@brighton-hove.gov.uk
Jacob Taylor (Finance and City Regeneration) Jacob.taylor@brighton-hove.gov.uk
Trevor Muten (Transport and City Infrastructure) trevor.muten@brighton-hove.gov.uk
Birgit Miller (Culture, Heritage and Tourism) Birgit.miller@brighton-hove.gov.uk
Mitchie Alexander (Communities, Equalities, Public and Adult Social Care) Mitchie.Alexander@brighton-hove.gov.uk
Emma Daniel (Children, Families and Youth Services) emma.daniel@brighton-hove.gov.uk
Tim Rokins (Net Zero and Environmental Services) Tim.Rowkins@brighton-hove.gov.uk
Jacob Allen (Customer Services and Public Realm) Jacob.Allen@brighton-hove.gov.uk
Gill Williams (Housing and New Homes) Gilliane.Williams@brighton-hove.gov.uk
Join us in Protest!
Join us in Protest!
We need your support in showing BHCC Cabinet members that we won’t let our library be closed.
Place - Hove Town Hall
Date - 11th December
Time - 1pm
SPREAD THE WORD
Protest outside Cabinet
Protest outside Cabinet
We were protesting again outside Hove Town Hall
for the Cabinet meeting on 13th November.
We won't give up!
We must save Rottingdean Library from closure
We must save Rottingdean Library from closure
Rottingdean library in the Grange is at the heart of our community, and used by all parts of it. Having a local library helps to build an early connection to books and learning for children. There are two nurseries and two primary schools within an easy walk of our library.
After Brighton and Hove City Council (BHCC) announced their plan to close 3 of 15 libraries in Brighton, Sarah Craven-Antill, a Rottingdean resident and mother of two young children, started a petition with change.org to save our library.
As not everyone has ready access to the internet it was decided to set up a paper petition and this was placed outside the library. By now, local residents had started to want to support this cause - the response was overwhelming, and so a group - ‘Save Rottingdean Library’ was set up with the aim of continuing to raise awareness and to be a point of contact for communication with BHCC, Rottingdean Parish Council (RPC) and Rottingdean Heritage (RH).
Since BHCC decided to consult on Rottingdean library closing we would like to let everyone we can know about the consultation being run on the proposed closure and hope that as many people as possible will try to influence this decision and help save our library.
The alternatives suggested by BHCC if Rottingdean library closes are not practical. Getting to Saltdean library by public transport involves a bus trip and crossing the A259 twice. Make that two buses for users from Ovingdean. That's just not feasible for groups of small children, parents pushing double buggies, or many customers with disabilities. Or they suggest more 'at home' visits for older users - cutting them off from the community.
How can I help?
How can I help?
The consultation phase on the library closures has just ended.Our response is here But it's still vital to try and influence the Councillors who will be making this decision in December. Below is a list of key influential people that you might also want to write to and help make the case. There's a document here you might find helpful for responding.
A petition against the closure was also lodged on Brighton and Hove's website (link here) and presented to Councillors on 13th October, and the campaign highlighted the thousands of people who signed our online and paper petition, as well as the local children whose artwork made their feelings clear.
We are still fighting - we went to the Council's Scrutiny Committee on Monday 10th November, and we were protesting at the town hall on 13th November. Please write with your thoughts to help influence the decision. We'll also be there on Thursday 11th December when BHCC Cabinet makes its decision. JOIN OUR PROTEST!
Deputation to Scrutiny committee
Deputation to Scrutiny committee
We made our case alongside campaigners from Westdene to the BHCC Scrutiny Committee on Monday.
You can view the whole debate on YouTube here
Argus coverage
Argus coverage
Double page spread on the Scrutiny discussion in the Argus Thursday 13th November
The Committee has asked BHCC to think again
Also in the online edition here
The Plough
The Plough
Big thanks to Kenny and the Plough for collaborating on the Halloween fundraiser and for a big donation to funds
Petition and protest
Petition and protest
We were protesting outside Hove Town Hall on Monday 13th October at 3.45pm. The petition, speech here was presented by Caroline Ellis
Latest Media coverage
Latest Media coverage
Brighton and Hove News
Brighton and Hove News
Coverage of Cllr Taylor - interview - unfortunately this article originally conflated the future of the Grange with the library but has now been amended.
2 November 2025
What else has been happening?
What else has been happening?
Congratulations to our winners
Under 5s: Apple Tree Montessori Nursery School
Age 6-8: Sorenna
Age 9-11: Ruby
People’s Choice: James & Teo
Thank you to the wonderful illustrator Ulrike Mieke [Instagram here] who agreed to judge the competition and donated signed prints as prizes
Children's poster exhibition
Children's poster exhibition
Thanks again to our two fabulous schools and nurseries in the village who supported children to create and submit their artwork. Also to St Margaret’s Church for hosting the exhibition.
Our campaign will put the views from the posters to BHCC as part of the consultation.
Our children’s voices matter and they will be heard!
Drop-in
Drop-in
Following massive local response the BHCC drop-in consultation on Tuesday 9th September was moved to our local school hall - even that was packed to the rafters with around 200 angry residents. The re-arranged drop in session in the library also had around 50 locals trying to get heard.
Poster controversy
Poster controversy
After BHCC took down children's posters in the library, we're starting a competition
Publicity
Publicity
Our banners and posters are up in Rottingdean Village - thank you for the donations that have made this possible
Nanny Bears Crochet
Nanny Bears Crochet
The wonderful Nany Bears crochet donated this postbox topper to help promote the campaign
Her website is here
Domenica De Rosa
Domenica De Rosa
The brilliant Domenica De Rosa - aka Elly Griffiths, sporting her Save Rottingdean Library campaign badge at the Edinburgh Book Festival
Her website is here
Saltdean show
Saltdean show
We had another Tombola with the kind support of local residents and businesses at the Saltdean dog show in Saltdean Oval on Sunday 7th September
Meeting our MP
Meeting our MP
Campaigners met Chris Ward MP on 31 July to discuss how to help save the library
Village Fair stall
Village Fair stall
The Save Rottingdean Library campaign had a very successful stall at the Village Fair on Saturday 2nd August - raising funds to support our awareness raising activities
RPC meeting
RPC meeting
Rottingdean Parish Council met onMonday 4th of August 2025 - see meeting agendas and minutes here
Who to write to?
Who to write to?
Chris Ward MP chris.ward.mp@parliament.uk
113 St Georges Road, Brighton, BN2 1EA
BHCC Council (consulting on closure)
Brighton & Hove City Council, Hove Town Hall, Norton Road, Hove, BN3 3BQ, UK
Bella Sankey Council Leader Bella.Sankey@brighton-hove.gov.uk
Alan Robins (sports, recreation and libraries) alan.robins@brighton-hove.gov.uk
Jacob Taylor (Finance and City Regeneration) Jacob.taylor@brighton-hove.gov.uk
Trevor Muten (Transport and City Infrastructure) trevor.muten@brighton-hove.gov.uk
Birgit Miller (Culture, Heritage and Tourism) Birgit.miller@brighton-hove.gov.uk
Mitchie Alexander (Communities, Equalities, Public and Adult Social Care) Mitchie.Alexander@brighton-hove.gov.uk
Emma Daniel (Children, Families and Youth Services) emma.daniel@brighton-hove.gov.uk
Tim Rokins (Net Zero and Environmental Services) Tim.Rowkins@brighton-hove.gov.uk
Jacob Allen (Customer Services and Public Realm) Jacob.Allen@brighton-hove.gov.uk
Gill Williams (Housing and New Homes) Gilliane.Williams@brighton-hove.gov.uk
Other Councillors
Alistair McNair (Leader Conservative group) Alistair.mcnair@brighton-hove.gov.uk
Steve Davis (Leader Green group) steve.davis@brighton-hove.gov.uk
Councillors for Rottingdean and West Saltdean
Bridget Fishleigh bridget.fishleigh@brighton-hove.gov.uk
Mark Earthey mark.earthey@brighton-hove.gov.uk
BHCC officials
Libraries team libraries@brighton-hove.gov.uk
Consultation contact point libraries.consultation@brighton-hove.gov.uk.
Rottingdean Parish Council
Rottingdean Parish Council
The Gables,
6 Dean Court Road
Rottingdean
East Sussex
BN2 7DH
Mike Nixon Chair mike.nixon@rottingdean-pc.gov.uk
Names and email addresses for the other RPC councillors and clerk are all here https://www.rottingdean-pc.gov.uk/contact_us
Earlier Media coverage
Earlier Media coverage
Letters to the Argus
Letters to the Argus
'Libraries are important for our communities'
Argus letters 8 October
Letters to the Argus
Letters to the Argus
'Don't axe libraries'
Argus letters 2 October
Private Eye!
Private Eye!
2nd October 2025
'Fury over Closure of Library'
'Fury over Closure of Library'
Evening Argus 11 Sept
Danny Pike interview with Cllr Alan Robins and Rottingdean residents on BBC Radio Sussex 17 July 2025
Brighton and Hove News 18 July 2025
Argus 23 July 2025
Sussex World 1st April 2025
Argus 10 July 2025
Contact us
Contact us
Save Rottingdean Library campaign
saverottingdeanlibrarycampaign@gmail.com
Sarah Craven Antill
Dilys Brown
Patsy Dixon
Nicky Lloyd Owen/Boys
Caroline Ellis
Liz Broadley
Clare Hayes
Join us on Social Media
We're promoting the campaign on Social media - see our facebook page here and we're on Nextdoor and Instagram
Thank you for supporting our wonderful library
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