WOKINGHAM’S town centre library is set to move to new, smaller premises in Carnival Pool after Executive approved an in principle decision when they met last week.
Under the plans, which will be opened to public consultation next month, the Denmark Street home to the bookworm’s paradise will be replaced with a new single-storey state-of-the-art facility that will open no earlier than 2021.
It will be part of Phase II of the regeneration project – the first part saw the building of a new multi-storey car park with bowling alley that will form part of the gateway to the new town centre.
And, as part of the proposal, the Executive agreed to the compulsory purchase of the existing Carnival Pool site, again with a view of revamping the facilities.
The news that the library is to be moved, subject to consultation, comes just days after a £47,000 refit of the existing facilities.
Cllr Pauline Jorgensen, executive member for resident services, said in response to a question that the hi-tech equipment installed in the library is expected to be moved over to the new library and the new counter is of a modular design that can also be re-deployed elsewhere in the borough after the move.
Peter Must from The Wokingham Society asked Cllr Jorgensen why there hadn’t been a prior public consultation relating to the proposal to move the library.
He asked: “Is it not vital to consult local people to discover their views on the proposal?”
Cllr Jorgensen said: “The council conducted an extensive consultation in 2016 on the proposed library offer for the borough … these views were the cornerstone of the new Library Offer that was adopted in June 2016.
“It was clear that residents wanted the library to retain books as its primary stock, to offer facilities that support learning and achievement and to continue to meet residents’ expectations for utilising and embracing new technology.”
She added that more than 1,000 people had responded to the Library Offer consultation.
A new public consultation will be launched next month, she pledged.
“Residents will have many opportunities to understand and shape the final details of the new library before it is expected to open in 2021,” she added.
Another resident, Keith Malvern asked why the first time he was made aware of the plans was when the Executive agenda was published last Wednesday, despite the Town Council learning of the proposal on February 22.
Cllr Jorgensen replied: “The council received a response from a Wokingham Town councillor expressing their view that the move to the proposed new site was ‘an excellent idea’; no other responses were received from the briefing note sent to local borough or town council members.”
Cllr Rachelle Shepherd-DuBey asked a question on behalf of fellow councillor Imogen Shepherd-DuBey: “Why was this proposal kept secret from many Wokingham Borough members until now?”
Cllr Jorgensen replied: “I would like to reassure members and the public that there has been on ‘secrecy’ around the proposals… Everyone will get to have their say on the detailed proposals for the Carnival Phase 2 scheme during next month’s public engagement.
“The decision taken tonight is one of a matter of principal and will be subject to further design and feasibility work. The library will not be moving until 2021 at the earliest so there is plenty of opportunity for members and the public to contribute to the detailed design process between now and 2021.”
The vote was carried unanimously.
At the same meeting the Executive agreed to an in principle decision to make a compulsory purchase order for land around Carnival Pool site to enable Phase 2 to go ahead. More details on this in next Thursday’s Wokingham Paper.
