Melksham Councillor Launches Campaign To Save Library/ Call for Consultation to be extended
September 3, 2010 8:19 AM
Wiltshire Councillor for Melksham South, Jon Hubbard, has launched a campaign to save Melksham Library after the Conservative Administration in County Hall announced a consultation exercise which proposes closing the popular town centre resource in favour of an out-of-town complex to be located by the new Melksham Oak Community School.
Cllr Jon Hubbard with Melksham's MP Duncan Hames, Town Councillor Terri Welch and community campaigner Andy Clayton outside Melksham Library.
The plans announced by the council would mean a new "campus" would be built which would house replacements for Christie Miller, the Blue Pool, the Library and Canberra Youth club amongst others.
The local councillor commented "This is just crazy. I think everyone can agree that Christie Miller needs to be replaced, and I understand the benefits of putting the Leisure Centre and the Swimming Pool in the same building. But to propose closing the popular town centre library and moving it out of town is simply insane, and it clearly shows just how detached from reality the Conservative administration in Trowbridge is."
Jon continued, "I notice that under the county-wide plans announced that Trowbridge is to have a nice new library provided right in the centre of the town, based in the newly refurbished County Hall. Melksham, meanwhile, as part of a cost cutting exercise is to loose its valuable and popular town centre resource and instead have a facility dumped on the edge of town.
"I find it ironic that the same council that fought so hard to stop Asda coming to Melksham on the basis of it being an out of town development has now had a complete change of heart and wants to move its own facilities away from the town centre.
"Once again we see the Conservatives in County Hall applying one rule for themselves and a completely different rule for everyone else.
"I urge every resident in Melksham to complete a copy of the consultation document that the council have issued. I will be making the online version available via my website at www.jonhubbard.org, or you will be able to collect a copy from the Library or the Blue Pool.
"We need to make sure that the voice of Melksham is heard loud and clear in County Hall".
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Update September 3rd.
Call for Campus Consultation to be Extended
Melksham councillor Jon Hubbard has called for Wiltshire Council's consultation exercise on the so-called Melksham Campus to be extended to allow more residents to participate. The consultation was originally set to close on 10th September but the Cllr Hubbard has asked that it should be extended until mid-October to give more people the chance to take part.
"The report will not be being presented to the Wiltshire Council cabinet until December", the local councillor said, "and therefore I can see no reason why we can't leave the consultation open and let more Melksham people have their say.
"Some residents have been complaining that they have been unable to access the consultation from the library and we need to ensure that everyone who wants to is able to contribute."
Jon Hubbard has launched a petition opposing the plans to close the town centre library and replace it with an out-of-town alternative. He commented "Closing our popular town centre library and replacing it with a bookshelf behind the receptionist at the leisure centre is not a viable option for Wiltshire's fourth largest town".
Jon's petition is available in many local shops as well as online at
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