THE establishment of four community libraries in the Vale has been delayed.

A decision was made at a cabinet meeting on Monday to revise the deadline for legal agreements which were originally planned for May.

This includes the library in Dinas Powys, along with Wenvoe, St Athan and Rhoose.

The Sully and Lavernock Community Library Trust had more positive news though.

Sully councillor and trust member Bob Penrose said only the leases were left to be signed before their transfer is completed.

"We want to extend opening hours to allow local schools to make use of the library more," he said, in discussing plans for the project once handed over.

"We also want to increase visitor numbers and books being taken out and encourage mother and toddler classes to develop young people's reading."

A cabinet meeting in February, originally saw the establishment of the community libraries with a May 31 deadline for the signing of legal agreements.

The deadline was extended though due to a number of factors, a report to cabinet said this week.

The main issues involve leases, transfer of assets, applications for charitable status and a pending judicial review relating to Rhoose library.

The report presented to cabinet also said that the transfer of the library in Sully had been partially delayed because of issues around the transfer of the assets.

Although the library building at Sully is owned by the Vale council, the land is leased from business Barry Plastics, it was said at the meeting.

The report added: "It was necessary to enter into an agreement to re-assign the lease to Sully and Lavernock Community Council which involved a third party: the solicitor acting on behalf of Barry Plastics. The license to assign the lease has now been prepared."

The Dinas Powys community group has yet to receive communication from the Charities Commission concerning their charitable status application and so the council said it is not possible to determine a deadline for transferring this library.

The reshaping of the library service is estimated to deliver savings of £525,000 over 2015/16 and 2016/17.

Partial implementation of the library strategy will enable £352,000 of the savings to be met, however, the remaining £173,000 will not be

realised until the community libraries are established.