8:59am Friday 12th March 2010
By Chief reporter David Connop Price
ANGER has erupted over the failure to provide Basingstoke with an adequate replacement library while a major revamp is carried out.
The existing library is due to shut next month while its home in Festival Place undergoes a £1million refurbishment that will see it re-emerge as a Discovery Centre.
But no provision exists to provide full alternative library accommodation while the work is carried out.
Basingstoke and Deane Borough councillors were left fuming after hearing Hampshire County Council had not even asked if they could use one of the borough’s empty shop units in the town of town for free.
The revelation from borough commercial portfolio manager Brian Barrett to the economic prosperity and performance overview and scrutiny committee prompted fury from all parties.
Liberal Democrat councillor Ron Hussey, who has been pushing the county to find an alternative site, said: “That’s disgraceful.”
Conservative councillor Ken Rhatigan and Labour councillor Paul Harvey said the borough should write to the county to express its disappointment.
Cllr Harvey said: “It is disgusting that this situation is allowed to continue.”
The Conservative-led county council’s plan is to: * Allow books, DVDs and CDs borrowed before the library shuts on April 25 to be returned at The Willis Museum
* extend opening hours at South Ham and Chineham libraries.
* site a mobile library in Market Place on Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
Cllr Hussey, who is also a county councillor for Basingstoke Central, has criticised these arrangements saying the bus service to the Library in Paddock Road, South Ham, has just been cut from once
every half hour to once every other hour.
He also said Hampshire provided a temporary library when it created Winchester’s £7m Discovery Centre.
Cllr Hussey added: “This is taking Basingstoke residents for a ride, but unfortunately only on a two hourly bus service.”
After the meeting, Hampshire libraries chief Cllr Margaret Snaith-Tempia said Winchester library was closed for two years while Basingstoke will only shut for six months and has three libraries “in close proximity.”
She added: “It is good to hear that the borough council is keen to offer a venue for a temporary library during the transformation of Basingstoke library into a Discovery Centre.
“The county council, however, has put in place a number of arrangements to make library facilities available throughout the refurbishment and to ensure as much of the budget as possible is spent directly on improving the current buildings and its facilities.”
Hampshire dumped plans for a £9m purpose-built Discovery Centre in Basingstoke in October 2008, blaming the credit crunch.
The Citizens Advice Bureau, which is located beside the library, will remain open during much of the refurbishment, but will have to move out when the lift is replaced.
The charity, which offers a range of free advice on issues ranging from legal to money matters, is not yet sure when this will be, but is looking at alternative arrangements for drop-in clients, including greater use of its Popley outreach service and possibly a vacant town centre shop.
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