Library boss takes Mick’s petition for a good read (From Bucks Free Press)

Library boss takes Mick’s petition for a good read

9:02am Friday 6th January 2006 in

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CAMPAIGNERS hoping to save Micklefield Library have taken their fight to the head of libraries.

Some 2,280 residents signed a petition which was handed into Bob Strong, head of libraries and heritage at Bucks County Council, on December 23 the last day of consultation for the closure proposals.

Midweek's Don't Take The Mick campaign has called for the library on Micklefield Road, High Wycombe, to be saved.

Under county council proposals, Micklefield is one of eight libraries facing the axe, with library bosses claiming they are under-used and the £6.68million a year running cost is too high to maintain.

According to Micklefield ward councillor Julia Wassell, the petition made an impression.

She said: "Bob Strong was full of praise and said we had run a good campaign.

"We had a very positive response. We had lots of support from a number of organisations, such as Adult Learning, High-crest School, the NHS, the Wycombe Society and Pensioner's Voice.

"We also had support from Wycombe District Council and MP Paul Goodman."

Most of the signatures came from residents living in the library catchment area and were collected by campaigners who went out door-knocking.

The campaigners also wrote a business plan for saving the library, using lottery money to build a more modern building.

The fate of the eight libraries will be decided on January 23.

And according to Bob Strong the outcome is likely to be influenced by the Don't Take The Mick campaign.

He said: "I was not surprised to see the size of the petition as over the last couple of months the library action group has made tremendous efforts to come up with some suggestions and proposals for how services could be improved down there.

"They have done a very good job. The decisions will be made by the county council on January 23 and I have no doubt that they will take into account the petition they have had from Micklefield."

The results of the public consultation, which are being determined by an independent company, will be used in the final decision later this month.