Thousands of books are to remain at Stockport Central Library despite a new £14m ‘learning and discovery hub’ being due to open next year.The council’s previous Labour administration signed off on moving the service from its long-time home on the A6 to ‘Stockroom’ - a state-of-the-art facility at Merseyway.
The old Grade II-listed library was to become the new home for the town’s adult education service, currently at Hardman Street. But after taking the town hall reins following May’s local elections, the Liberal Democrats launched a ‘review into the removal of library services from our Carnegie-endowment Central Library’.
And at a full council meeting on Thursday night, new leader Coun Mark Hunter announced that library services would be retained at Central Library ‘in addition to library services in the town centre’. Further detail was given by Coun Grace Baynham, cabinet member for Highways, Parks and Leisure Services, who confirmed that - as per previous plans - the building would be home to the adult education service.
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She told the town hall meeting: “I’m pleased to report we will be retaining a comprehensive range of library services at Central Library. This will include a good selection of non-fiction material to enhance the adult education offer.
“It will also include 2,500 of the most popular fiction books. A range of ages will be catered for and there will be digital services and book ordering available.”
The proposed move from Central Library had been highly controversial, with 7,000 people signing a petition against the move and the Tories and Lib Dems - then in opposition - fighting to have it overturned. Despite assurances that the building would remain open to the public - as an adult education centre, with the possibility of some modest library offer being retained - the decision was ‘called in’ by opposition groups and debated again at full council.
However, It was not lost on Conservatives Coun Oliver Johnstone that the Lib Dem plans for Central Library looked very much like those ultimately signed off by Labour. He noted that the Tories and Lib Dems had rejected proposals to provide adult education services at Central Library as they wanted to keep it ‘solely as a library’ - and asked Coun Baynham what had changed.
In response Coun Baynham said her group had honoured residents’ wishes to retain the building as a ‘viable library’.
“Based on the position we are in with the budgets available and the budget given by government we have looked at what’s feasible and done our best to retain library services and access to that building, as the public wanted in the consultation,” she said.
But Coun David Meller - former cabinet member for regeneration who was the same driving force behind Stockroom - could barely contain his fury over the Lib Dems adopting a seemingly very similar scheme to the Labour proposal they had long opposed.
"It’s very good you now want to put forward our proposal and take that forward,” he told Coun Baynham and her colleagues.Therefore, do you want to apologise to all the officers whose time you wasted with your group in relation to all the work we put forward in relation to that proposal?
“And do you want to apologise to all of us for the time we have wasted in relation to all of this? I’m actually quite aghast that you are taking forward the proposals that we put forward that you fought against. I find it quite amazing.”
Coun Baynham did not apologise, but thanked officers for their support since she took on her cabinet role.
A council statement released after the meeting says that having a library and adult education centre under one roof will also encourage more adult learners to join.
It adds: “Residents will be able to access the most popular adult fiction titles, as well as a selection of non-fiction that will complement the adult education services on offer. Those visiting with children will be able to choose from a selection of junior and children’s fiction.
“In addition, visitors will also be able to take advantage of free PCs, tablets and study space.”
The library will also offer the Open + service, which has been rolled out to several other libraries in the borough. Once registered, customers will be able to scan their card at the terminal and enter their PIN to access the library.
Whilst in the library, visitors can then borrow or return books, pick up reservations and use the public PCs or the Wi-Fi on their own device. This new provision will extend the current opening hours, and the service will also be offered on a Sunday.
Stockport full council met at the town hall on Thursday night (July 14).
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