REDDITCH Labour group has released figures from a freedom of information (FOI) request that the number of people using Redditch Town Centre library reached nearly 12,500 last month.
The FOI request to Worcestershire County Council, which is responsible for library services, shows that the number of visitors increased from 9,258 in January to 12,328 in July this year.
Plans put forward by Redditch’s Towns Fund Board – and backed with £4.2million in Government money – would see the current library building demolished and the facility re-located, with Redditch Town Hall the lead candidate as its new venue.
The move, says Councillor Matt Dormer, the Leader of Redditch Borough Council, offers ‘a fantastic opportunity to change people’s lives for the better’.
However the local Labour group is battling to save the existing building.
Borough Councillor Andy Fry (Lab, Lodge Park) said: “The increased footfall to Redditch town centre library shows that local residents value their library, it’s in high demand and people are coming back after the pandemic.
“We’ve been out and about listening to people’s concerns, and the proposed demolition of the library has come up time and time again.
“Libraries are a statutory service, which means that any changes must be subject to public consultation. We have been asking for over a year for a plan showing where all the library’s services and facilities would go, so that residents can have their say, and still nothing has been provided.”
However Redditch Borough Council’s Leader Matt Dormer (Con, West) said that when the plans for the new look library are revealed ‘he defied any party to vote against them’.
“We have some amazing plans for how the new library will look,” he said.
“Lots of services have already signed up to get in the Town Hall where we can create a real community hub.
“This is a fantastic opportunity to change people’s lives for the better and when these plans come to fruition I defy any party to vote against them.
“All we are waiting for is the county council to rubber stamp the move.”
Last autumn, more than 2,000 people signed a petition to save the library building which was presented to Worcestershire County Council in November by Redditch Labour.
The county council is expected to publish a report on the future of the library building on September 14.
This will go to its Corporate and Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee on September 21 and Cabinet the following day.
The report was originally promised earlier this year and has been delayed twice.
