10:01pm Thursday 18th September 2008
A NUMBER of small libraries across Buckinghamshire may be under threat as a result of the county council’s interpretation of population figures, a public meeting heard tonight.
More than 60 people turned out to hear Stoke Poges parish council chairwoman, Kathie Webber, and county councillor Trevor Egleton update them on the battle to save the village’s library.
County Council cabinet member Margaret Dewar caused a storm of protest when she decided to scrap the new library, due to be built as part of the new Bells Hill development by contractor Persimmon.
Persimmon had slipped behind schedule for the project. If the library is cancelled, the county council believes it will be able to claim compensation of £230,000 which would be spent elsewhere in Bucks.
Mrs Dewar’s decision was called in by the county council’s Overview and Scrutiny committee, after Cllr Egleton raised more than 30 concerns.
One of his main complaints is what he sees as the vague nature of the county council’s libraries policy.
“The policy on library provision seems to change every year, and I have yet to find exactly where it is written down – it seems to be a moving target,” he told villagers.
“The latest population threshold the county council is talking about now is 7,500 – up from 5,000 we were originally working to - and if that’s the case, there are at least another seven or eight libraries in the county that will be threatened by these policies.”
Ms Webber added: “What we have here is a flawed decision – I just hope common sense will prevail and Mrs Dewar will listen.
“For well-run councils, having a decision called in is a rarity – it is also an embarrassment.”
After the meeting, one villager who declined to be named, told the Bucks Free Press: “We were promised a replacement library when the Bells Hill shopping centre was redeveloped. Had Persimmon been on time, and the slow-down in the construction industry not happened, there is no question it would have been built.
“This looks like opportunism by the county council – it is taking advantage of our crumbling economy in order to bank money for projects elsewhere. We all feel cheated.
“Other areas with small libraries had better watch out, it’s not just about Stoke Poges – this hit us out of the blue, and I bet we won’t be alone.”
A petition is being gathered by campaigners which will then be submitted to the county council.
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