News

Cinderford saved, but Gloucestershire campaign goes on

31.01.11 | Benedicte Page

Gloucestershire county council has reinvested £500,000 into its library budget, with new proposals that would see Cinderford library saved from closure.

But Friends of Gloucestershire libraries said the revised plans, which would still leave 10 libraries at risk of closure if volunteers do not step forward to run them, "go nowhere near far enough".

Council leader Mark Hawthorne said the decision to save Cinderford, made after the council's investment, "demonstrates that we are listening to what people are telling us," calling Cinderford as "a unique location". The money will also be used to extend opening hours at other library sites and make a one-off £100,000 to buy book and audio stock.

But local campaigners repeated their call for an "urgent independent and transparent review" of the council's plans for its library service.

In a statement, Friends of Gloucestershire Libraries queried the council's level of consultation with local people, saying: "These revised plans have been announced with four consultation sessions still to be held and an online consultation survey which runs until the 11th February. Are the people attending these sessions and completing the survey between now and then to assume that their views will not be taken into account then?"

The revised proposals "still fail to take proper account of social impacts and are being rushed through without the opportunity for proper scrutiny," campaigners argued.

Meanwhile, an open letter of support to the campaign group signed by 20 local authors including Jilly Cooper, Jamila Gavin and Mo Hayder, urged the council not to proceed with the cuts, saying they would "cause immense, long-term, and perhaps irreparable damage to communities across Gloucestershire".

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By Jo

All the whisperings around these very secret revisions since Friday indicated that GCC seemed very excited that this would make all the difference and they had some big news so it as come as somewhat of an anti-climax to hopeful campaigners - GCC just do not seem to get it. The very valid concerns raised by Gloucestershire residents seem to not be penetrating much at all. The poorest communities are still being the hardest hit and there is not enough transparency to these proposals to enable people to make informed decisions. The way GCC have approached the whole thing makes one wonder if this is intentional.

Mon, 31/01/2011 - 17:39
By Cindy Jefferies

And no word from the council about the mobile service, which they say they are going to scrap in its entirety. The people who use this, (and I used to be one of them) are the elderly, infirm, those with young children and those who cannot afford to run a car. In short, some of the less advantaged in our rural county. The suggestion was made that in future people could buy their books from Amazon. Well maybe you don't need a car to buy from Amazon, but you certainly do need disposable income. Let them eat cake?

Tue, 01/02/2011 - 12:23
By Ian Anstice

Well, they can say they "listened" to the consultation.... the one who matters (Mr Vaizey) was impressed enough to mention Glos's "improved" deal on Mumsnet today.

Tue, 01/02/2011 - 23:45
By Jo

All the whisperings around these very secret revisions since Friday indicated that GCC seemed very excited that this would make all the difference and they had some big news so it as come as somewhat of an anti-climax to hopeful campaigners - GCC just do not seem to get it. The very valid concerns raised by Gloucestershire residents seem to not be penetrating much at all. The poorest communities are still being the hardest hit and there is not enough transparency to these proposals to enable people to make informed decisions. The way GCC have approached the whole thing makes one wonder if this is intentional.

Mon, 31/01/2011 - 17:39
By Cindy Jefferies

And no word from the council about the mobile service, which they say they are going to scrap in its entirety. The people who use this, (and I used to be one of them) are the elderly, infirm, those with young children and those who cannot afford to run a car. In short, some of the less advantaged in our rural county. The suggestion was made that in future people could buy their books from Amazon. Well maybe you don't need a car to buy from Amazon, but you certainly do need disposable income. Let them eat cake?

Tue, 01/02/2011 - 12:23
By Ian Anstice

Well, they can say they "listened" to the consultation.... the one who matters (Mr Vaizey) was impressed enough to mention Glos's "improved" deal on Mumsnet today.

Tue, 01/02/2011 - 23:45

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