Irby Library, one of nine closed by Wirral Council in 2022, is set to reopen next spring after being handed to a local charity. Following a successful Community Asset Transfer, responsibility for the site has passed to Pioneer People, run by former Wirral councillor Mark Johnston.
Mixed-use space planned
The library will be brought back to life as a mixed-use space. In addition to being a library, the site will host meetings for local groups, and a second-hand shop will be established to help fund the site. The charity has already reopened Pensby Library, which returned in 2024.
Mr Johnston explained that once the library is transferred to the charity, the site must be self-sustainable. Pensby Library has a café to finance the venture, but as several thriving cafés already exist in Irby, Pioneer opted for a second-hand shop instead to avoid conflict in the village.
Community reaction
At the library, Mr Johnston, local councillor Mark Skillicorn, and Trevor Ainslie, chair of the Irby, Thurstaston, and Pensby Amenity Society (ITPAS), met with the ECHO to discuss the official handover of the keys. Cllr Skillicorn called the completion of the asset transfer the "proudest moment" of his time as a councillor, noting the library had helped people access the internet and served as a warm space during colder months.
The site has been largely untouched since 2022, still scattered with covid-era signs. Asked when the library will open, Mr Johnston said: "It'll be open by the spring, if not earlier." Residents expressed delight, with Julie Forshaw saying: "It's definitely exciting to see it come back. Just to see the building in use again will be amazing."
