Community concerned over plans to demolish Winslow library

Bucks County Council has announced plans to demolish Winslow’s community library as part of a redevelopment of the Winslow Centre site.
Archive photo from the opening of Winslow Community LibraryArchive photo from the opening of Winslow Community Library
Archive photo from the opening of Winslow Community Library

After the county council informed Winslow Town Council of the latest developments, the town council called an emergency meeting for Wednesday September 25 to discuss the issue.

At the emergency meeting, a motion was proposed by councillor Llew Monger calling on the county council to retain the existing library facility when the rest of the buildings on the site are demolished or to support the retention of the current facility for use as a community library permanently or until a permanent replacement building is provided.

The motion was unanimously approved by councillors.

A report produced by Cllr Monger ahead of the meeting says: ‘Bucks County Council want to complete the demolition of the youth centre building and former school buildings which are unoccupied together with the community library which is very much still occupied and well used.

“As the youth centre and school buildings are already lost to our community demolition of these buildings would be a reasonable step to take.

“However the community library is a substantial community asset which is well used and provides a home for a wide range of other activities.”

The community library was established in Winslow in 2013 two years after the county council announced plans to close smaller libraries across Bucks including Winslow.

Since Winslow became a community library its use has been broadened, with at least six small community groups meeting there on either a weekly or monthly basis.

Bucks County Council claim they want to demolish the community library at the same time as the rest of the site because of cost reasons.

They are proposing to relocate the library to a portacabin although it is claimed that the plans lack detail at the moment.

Ray Allcock, chair of the Friends of Winslow Library said: “It would be wrong to dismiss the portacabin plan but at the meeting this week there was no detail.

“The group would have grave concerns about the library being relocated to a portacabin for an indefinite period of time.

“As a group our preference is for the library to be maintained on the same permanent site.”

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