IT is encouraging to read that Darlington Borough Council along with Stockton and Durham councils and the Tees Valley Combined Authority are making plans to apply for funding in the run up to the bi-centenary of the Stockton and Darlington Railway (Echo, Sept 6).

Many of the suggestions regarding the promotion of Darlington’s role in the birth of passenger railways, its Quaker history and its bridge building were put to Councillor Nick Wallis in a meeting at the town hall last December. This was a meeting between Cllr Wallis and three members of the Friends of Darlington Libraries, including myself.

We suggested that Crown Street Library could be a starting point for visitors and that staff with their extensive knowledge of the history of the town and keepers of the archives including books, maps, posters, paintings and photographs could signpost people to areas of interest including the Head of Steam Museum.

We also suggested there could be displays celebrating the town’s Quaker, industrial, bridge building and railway heritage within the library space.

After all what could be more appropriate than to house such facilities within a Grade II listed Victorian building, gifted to the townspeople by a prominent member of the Pease family?

This Quaker family promoted the building of the railway, and their influence on the development of our town cannot be underestimated. Cllr Wallis states that he and his colleagues are “talking to people”. I would ask this: “Are you listening?”

If you are, please think again about Crown Street Library.

Think of the possibilities, of how its treasures can be used as part of the visitor strategy, of its value to the people of the town and of its place in the future as an asset of which we can continue to be proud.

Sheila Harris, Darlington

IT is great to see plans being made to utilise our heritage to increase the profile of Darlington and increase visitor numbers (Echo, Sept 6).

In the appeals the Friends of Darlington Libraries made to the council around retaining the library in Crown Street we were aware of this developing agenda and raised the question of joined up planning.

The railway visitor agenda is naturally focused on Bank Top and North Road and could see visitors bypassing the town centre. Would it not be a good idea to take the links from the Pease family heritage into a railway-centric exhibition in the Crown Street library and encourage the railway enthusiasts to not just go to the stations but also the town centre?

This would have significant historical resonance if the library remained where it is. It would appear that they have ignored this suggestion in the same way as every other one we put forward.

Once again we would ask them to reconsider their options.

Paul Howell, Darlington