Cllr Muhammed Butt outside Kensal Rise Library

Cllr Muhammed Butt met with crusaders to discuss plans for the future use of the site

Library campaigners in Wembley were given fresh hope after holding a meeting with Brent Council leader Cllr Muhammed Butt.

Campaigners from the Save Preston Library Campaign met with Cllr Butt to discuss potential plans for the future use of the site.

Philip Bromberg, who is part of the campaign to re-open the building in Carlton Avenue East, told the Times in a statement: “In what was a very friendly meeting, we spent an hour or so discussing the future of Preston Library and agreed to meet again in the very near future to continue the discussion.”

The meeting followed a discussion held last week, between Brent SOS Libraries and Dan Jarvis, shadow culture minister, where they called on the council to re-think its library policy.

Mr Bromberg added: “We hope that the fact that we had this meeting and that it was very positive may help towards the different approach we have been asking for.”

Following the meeting, Mr Jarvis said: “Libraries provide an important service to local communities, and I am clear that councils, and local residents, need to be working together to ensure that.”

Cllr Butt said: “The meeting was very positive and very frank and constructive, I have said from the beginning that we need to sit down and listen to community groups and that’s what I have been trying to do.”