THIS WEEKS Redditch Standard letters.
I WOULD like to also add my views on nightlife in Redditch.
First and foremost, the Church Green is a wasted space.
It could be lovely if there were nice restaurants and cafes allowing you sit outside.
Eating by the cinema is dull as there is no atmosphere.
With nightlife, cocktail bars where people want to drink and talk would be ideal.
We don’t need more night clubs.
At the moment there are only places where younger people go to get insanely drunk or old man bars.
There is nothing aimed and 20 to 30 somethings who wish to enjoy drinks and some music.
Sophie H, aged 31
FOR A start, I would like our wonderful Library to remain where it is.
It’s well used and is well loved.
Would not mind a cocktail bar in some already empty premises.
Redditch town centre fund needs more public involvement.
I certainly don’t like the bullying.
Denise Bonham
AS A DJ of 25 years, apart from a few clubs in Redditch, I have spent my life driving OUT of Redditch to play all over the country.
I believe there is possibly a market for Popworld’s particular brand of commerce and wet t-shirt competitions, however they are not the crowd I like to meet in my town centre.
I believe there should be gay clubs, clubs that can be hired (and will promote) DJs and live bands, nostalgic 80s and 90s is another good market.
They are all great crowds and should be encouraged into our town centre.
Believe me, most of us go into Birmingham (and not Broad Street, that’s just Popworld writ large).
I also would be devastated to get rid of our library as there are many unfilled premises along the main drag.
Redditch should be a positive place to go to.
Amy
SO THE fantastical new plans for the library have been released by Conservative-controlled Redditch Council, can I ask a few questions?
1. I thought we were having a new plaza and the library was going to be cleared away so we could all see fabulous events in the remaining space. Suddenly this has changed. When did this change? Why are we now having a two story building with eateries in it on the footprint of where our lovely library stood? Was the open plaza idea a lie?
2. So if this building is going to be built and its going to cost more money to take what we have and put it somewhere else, why can’t we just put the eateries in the Town Hall and leave the Library where it is? Surely this would be cheaper and less work to achieve similar ends.
3. If we just put eateries in the town hall, presumably we would save enough money so that we wouldn’t have to lose Community House and the Gemini Dance studios to pay for this gigantic white elephant.
4. Isn’t it true that even with town assets like that sold off, the council is still going to have to borrow enough money to pay for it all, which won’t be able to be reimbursed until 2077 – a time when the children in our schools have retired?
5. Are we losing some of our archives to facilitate all this?
6. Finally, has the Conservative Council asked the people of Redditch what they think about this reckless spending in their name? Do the people want to venture into this enormously expensive and largely unnecessary scheme? Or is it just going to be steam rollered through without giving them a say, like almost everything else the Conservative council does?
Enquiring minds want to know.
Coun Juliet Barker Smith (Labour)
THE PROPOSED demolition of the library is close to an act of utter vandalism.
Just walk in there most days in the week and witness young mothers sat in groups with their young, and you cannot fail to be uplifted.
Libraries are initially the first step in learning, helping to enlighten the young and future of our town.
We need more education and enlightenment not less.
Michael Lewis d’Abreu
THIS week at Executive Council, Coun Peter Fleming claimed opponents of the demolition of the library have a ‘fear of change’.
I think that It is fair to say we are afraid.
But it is not change we are scared of.
We are afraid £4.2million of taxpayers’ money is about to be spent on a project the public do not want.
We are afraid three small cafes will not create more footfall than the Library (400 visitors a day).
We are afraid demolishing the library and moving it down the road will make it more difficult for residents to access.
We are afraid of what other community assets will be sold off if the earmarked £5.2million to remodel the Town Hall is not enough.
Coun Fleming says he is proud to be part of a Conservative group which is ‘unlocking Redditch’.
A dusty old slogan is all they’ve got.
This is a Tory group who are afraid of losing control.
Coun Sharon Harvey
Redditch Labour Group
IN THESE difficult financial times it is astonishing to learn that the cash-strapped Redditch Borough Council has decided to ignore the advice of its own Oversight and Scrutiny Committee and to go ahead with plans to spend at least £9.4million of public money on demolishing our much-liked and very well-used library and then relocating library services to an extended town hall.
Coun Dormer is apparently of the view that demolishing the library and replacing it with a smaller building with three food outlets will increase footfall in the town centre whilst conveniently ignoring the fact the library has 12,000 visits per month.
Really?
On what basis?
He seems to be ignoring the fact that even JD Wetherspoon cannot make the Rising Sun profitable and there is no research into whether there would be any hope of actually letting three further retail outlets.
How is this sustainable? The Kingfisher Centre could not even keep Burger King open.
Where will the money come from? £4.2million is to come from the Town Fund (ie the taxpayers) and the further £5.2million from the sale of council assets such as the Community House site in Easemore Road.
This is simply speculative – no more than a gamble.
He ignores the fact assets such as Community House have a value beyond what property developers will pay for them.
This scheme is surely reckless and unwise. In real terms this is why the Oversight and Scrutiny Committee would not recommend it. Coun Dormer apparently thinks he knows better. He is wrong.
He has apparently indicated that he cannot guarantee the future of library services unless his plan is approved.
That sounds very much like a thinly veiled threat.
It seems to be assumed that the people of Redditch will simply surrender their existing library services, but this cannot be the case.
There is to be a protest outside the library on Saturday, October 15. Please come and make your views known.
David Munro
Oakenshaw
Redditch
SO THE justification for flattening our library to replace it with a wide open vista is groundless.
It makes no economic sense to dismantle our purpose-built library.
It won’t fit in the available space in the Town Hall, so that’s no good to this town.
I accept it’s not the most attractive building but it’s huge (check out the aerial view) and we need every inch of it.
The great thing about libraries is they don’t like much sunlight (it’s not good for the books storage) so they don’t have many windows.
Which for my plan, is useful.
I propose we turn it into an attractive venue and frame it.
There’s 4.2million earmarked for removing our library I say we use that to turn it into a spectacle with a fabulous cafe ontop (outside lift to the deck) and we have a glorious under-the-sea covered area for arty markets, down by what always looked like it was under the docks!
It fulfills various requirements without any changes to our library facility.
We create an Elizabethan ship over an Elizabethan library sailing into the Carolean era. What’s not to love?!
I have received nothing but support for the idea wherever I have presented it.
Any questions? Let’s meet on the ‘Save Redditch Library’ Facebook page and discuss it.
Let’s not forget that since the Conservatives took office in 2010, they have closed over 800 libraries.
We must stop their plans to steal ours.
Sharon Burton Fletcher
I WOULD like to put my views forward to stop the demolition of Redditch Library.
Firstly do not take a facility away that supports the mental health of people.
It is a fact that all ages use this facility to discuss issues that worry them.
It’s somewhere for all ages to meet up.
Don’t take this away please after a dreadful pandemic.
Mental health needs and loneliness also must play a big part in your decision.
Pat Dormer
EDITORS COMMENT
REDDITCH’S nightlife and plans to bulldoze the library building to move it into the town hall have proved two of the most controversial issues here for a long time, prompting much debate.
The best councils thoroughly consult residents throughout processes and convince them certain plans are best for the town.
Our interview with council leader Matt Dormer saw justifiable points made and raised other questions.
He also vowed a full consultation with residents once the plans had gone before the county council.
We will be watching.
