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Conservatives Vote to Close Library

Published on Wednesday 30th March 2011 by Jon Hubbard

Melksham residents have reacted with shock following the decision of Conservative Councillors to recommend closure of Melksham’s town centre library.

At a special Area Board meeting held on 29th March in the Assembly Hall the four Conservative councillors rejected a proposal from Lib Dems Jon Hubbard and Steve Petty that supported the proposed campus, but asked for a split site solution that retained the town centre library and youth centre.

Despite overwhelming evidence that the people of Melksham do not want the library and youth centre to move, a vote recommending their closure was forced through at the meeting.

Speaking afterwards Melksham South councillor Jon Hubbard said “frankly I am ashamed of Wiltshire Council tonight. I will be formally writing to the Chief Executive to complain about the conduct of the council, as they have completely failed to fulfil their own promises.

“Members had been assured that any questions submitted by the public would receive answers in advance of the meeting but this never happened. We were then told at the meeting the answers were available online and we should have read them there. But when we looked, they weren’t there either!

“Tonight, Conservative councillors ignored the results of the consultation that they commissioned, they ignored the pleas of the members of public attending the meeting and ignored the reasoned arguments of trying to save Melksham’s town centre.

“Instead they chose to asset strip the town so that they can pay for their mismanagement of the county.

“Yet again, the conservatives put themselves first, and Melksham second.”

Last Minute Attempt to Disguise Closure Won’t Work

A last minute proposal to maintain a “library presence” in the town centre proposed by Conservative councillors won’t work claims Jon Hubbard.

“This proposal, for which no details were given, would see a rump of the library remain, with no professional staff and very limited books. We were not told where it would be or how much it would stock.

“However, we were told that the proposal would only maintain a presence in the town for an extra 9 months, when a review would take place”.