New Mill Library given stay of execution

Jul 3 2009 By Barry Gibson

Fellow Holme Valley South Conservative Clr Ken Sims told the panel that New Mill needed a library to serve its growing population.

He said: “There is planning permission for 300 new homes which will create extra foot-fall at the library.”

Clr Sims also accused the Labour/Lib Dem Cabinet of manipulating statistics to justify the closure. He said: “Every trick in the book has been used to make figures match requirements.”

But Cabinet member for regeneration Clr Christine Stanfield denied this.

The Lindley Lib Dem said: “I don’t blame people for objecting to the closure, but they are rejecting every single statistic which the library service provides.”

Clr Stanfield said that a mobile library would provide more choice than the current village library.

She said: “There are 6,500 books on a mobile unit and they are rotated regularly. There is also IT provision.”

However, later in the meeting a council officer said that mobile libraries do not have computers for public use.

Clr Stanfield said: “I apologise, I understood that there would be a PC on the bus.”

The Scrutiny Panel sent the closure decision back to Cabinet because of the confusion over computer provision. However, Cabinet can still decide to go ahead and shut the library.

After the meeting Clr Firth said he would continue fighting to keep New Mill Library open. He said: “It was the correct decision.

“I shall go to the Cabinet meeting and tell them what I’ve always told them – keep your hands off New Mill.”