City councillor Susanna Pressel (Oxford Mail, February 24) illustrates clearly why it would be foolish to hand over important responsibilities, such as the provision of a new central library, to a unitary council based on the current Oxford City Council, which is judged by the Audit Commission as "weak" and "not offering value for money".

The county council has led careful negotiations with the Westgate developers and the city council and these are about to reach final agreement.

We will create a modern and greatly improved central library within the existing site, with the developer meeting most of the cost.

A new building on another site was considered but discounted by all concerned, mainly because the present site is ideal and the least expensive option for taxpayers.

The county council has already demonstrated on the Oxford Castle award-winning site how it can work with private developers to deliver imaginative world-class projects which significantly add to our city.

We are taking the opportunity to redesign the Central Library, and integrate the various services currently on offer.

By reorganising the way we use office space in the current building, the library will be completely recreated, providing equivalent public space.

It will be more attractive, welcoming and better suited to the future needs of residents and the rest of the county.

All of this will be achieved on a slightly reduced footprint, but in a much more attractive and user-friendly style.

By grasping the opportunity to obtain such extensive improvements, largely through investment by a commercial funder, we will be able to provide a very modern library that is fit for purpose in the years to come.

This represents excellent value for money for all Oxfordshire residents. We could have opted for a bigger and better new library, mostly paid for out of taxes, but it would have proved much more expensive than we wished to afford.

That, apparently, is the sort of deal Ms Pressel would have preferred.

Don Seale (Councillor), Cabinet member for cultural services, Oxfordshire County Council