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Melksham Town Council Says “No” to Town Centre Library

Published on Monday 14th March 2011 by Jon Hubbard

Cllr Jon Hubbard and Duncan Hames MP outside Melksham LibraryMelksham councillor Jon Hubbard has blasted fellow councillors on Melksham Town Council for failing to support a motion aimed at protecting the town’s central library.

At a meeting of the Policy and Resources committee on Monday evening the council was asked to consider its position on the proposed closure of the Town Centre library, with instead a new library being built as part of the new campus at Woolmore Farm next to the new Melksham Oak Community School.

Cllr Jon Hubbard proposed a motion to the council supporting the new campus, but asking the Area Board to recommend retaining the Library and Youth Centre in the town centre. Councillors voted 4 to 3, with one abstaining, against the motion instead opting to support moving the Library out of the town.

Speaking after the meeting Cllr Hubbard said, “Today the Conservatives on Melksham Town Council voted en-bloc to ignore the pleas of the people of Melksham to save their Library and Youth Centre. This shameful decision will result in the Town Centre continuing to decline, never again will any Conservative member of this council be able to claim they are the party that puts Melksham first. Today they have shown that they are the party that votes to asset strip Melksham’s town centre and support an inaccessible out-of-town library that many people will just not be able to travel to.

“Today we saw which local councillors actually are thinking of the people of Melksham, and truely representing the people of Melksham. The Conservatives voted against saving the Library, the only Labour councillor present chose to abstain, while the Liberal Democrats and one independent  voted to try and save this valuable town resource.

“Whilst there is no doubt that this is a blow to the campaign to save our library, the fight is in no way over. I will continue to campaign to keep our library, and I urge all local residents to attend the special Area Board meeting on Tuesday 29th March at 6pm in the Assembly Hall to make sure that Melksham’s voice is heard.”

The full text of the motion proposed by Cllr Jon Hubbard was: "This council broadly agrees with the concept of the proposed campus but is concerned at the potential impact of moving the Library and Youth Centre from the current Town Centre locations. We therefore would urge the Area Board to recommend a split site solution to cabinet with the new campus being developed as proposed, but with the Library and Youth Centre remaining in their current location."

The vote (which was taken by recorded vote) was:

Cllr Pam Wiltshire (Conservative) - Against
Cllr Richard Wiltshire (Conservative) - Against
Cllr Rod Eaton (Conservative) - Against
Cllr Mark Griffiths (Conservative) - Against

Cllr Adriene Westbrook (Ind) - For
Cllr Terri Welch (Lib Dem) - For
Cllr Jon Hubbard (Lib Dem) - For

Cllr Sarah Cardy (Labour) - Abstain