Central library closure

This is council madness really; having starved the building of funds for 30 years they now want to shrug it off. They did the same to the market buildings, spent a million + knocking it down and now don't know what to do. Might as well let the Chinese have that site. There will soon by nothing left in the city for all these tourists to come and visit! The council could do worse than look what Chester have just achieved with an old abandoned 1930s cinema, which is now a massive arts centre / cinema / theatre / gallery and pulling people in. Costs were less than anticipated, and less than the council wants to waste here, the result has had national press.

This is council madness really; having starved the building of funds for 30 years they now want to shrug it off. They did the same to the market buildings, spent a million + knocking it down and now don't know what to do. Might as well let the Chinese have that site. There will soon by nothing left in the city for all these tourists to come and visit! The council could do worse than look what Chester have just achieved with an old abandoned 1930s cinema, which is now a massive arts centre / cinema / theatre / gallery and pulling people in. Costs were less than anticipated, and less than the council wants to waste here, the result has had national press.

The Market area!!!!!how dare you!!!! you should know that you can not mention that assassinated area on these pages .

You will be sent to Moor foot to face the PLANNERS:gag:

This is worth a view and your support!!!

 

https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/keep-sheffield-s-library-theatre?source=facebook-share-button&time=1486740588

Signed and shared........,.

Not sure what's going on with the central library but maybe SCC should take a leaf out of Salford council's book

Salford's 'Corbynista' council has voted to open libraries rather than close them

The city which opened the country's first municipal library has turned a new leaf - and voted to open more

BY NEAL KEELING

15:11, 3 OCT 2017UPDATED15:12, 3 OCT 2017

 

PROD-JS36517257.jpg

 

One of the new libraries will be at Broughton leisure centre(Image: Manchester Evening News)

The city which opened the first municipal library in the country has turned a new leaf - and voted to open more.

 

Salford council has given the go-ahead for seven new libraries, brand new computers and extra opening hours at a time when neighbouring councils are closing them.

 

And they reckon it will SAVE them more than £1m a YEAR.

 

Councillors considered three options - closing eight libraries and saving £750,000 over four years; closing seven and saving £520,00; or closing none and opening new ones.

 

 

The town hall, which is strongly aligned to Labour ’s Corbynista left wing, opted for investing in more. Some £590,000 will be spent over the next four years.

 

None of the 16 existing libraries in the city will close. Staff will not be replaced with volunteers. And library services will be expanded to seven new locations.

 

READ MORE

Hundreds of libraries are being closed across the country... but not in Salford

 

Coun David Lancaster, lead member for the environment and community safety, said: “We’re investing capital money into creating libraries fit for the 21st century.

 

 

“Some 40 per cent of people coming to our libraries use the computers, so we will upgrade every computer and introduce facilities people have asked for - such as charging points and the ability to print from their own devices.

 

“There will also be much more support for people who want to learn digital skills.

 

“Another 40pc of users come to Salford libraries just to borrow books. We already have self service technology in 14 libraries for borrowing and returning books. We will extend that to all 16 libraries and the seven service points which will make it quicker and easier for people who don’t need any help while freeing up staff to spend time with those who do.

 

“We will also be expanding library collections and our reserve and collect service into new buildings, such as leisure centres. One of the new libraries will be at the Helly Hansen Watersports Centre at Salford Quays where thousands of people now live and work.

 

 

“These additional leisure and community centre sites will be operated by existing staff and offer additional opening hours each week, with self service facilities available. The plans will expand our opening hours to over 1,000 hours per week.

 

READ MORE

Iconic Royton library will be closed down after more than 100 years

 

“We have a great network of volunteers who use the libraries as venues for community activities, such as knitting groups. They really add to what the libraries can offer and I hope we can create more opportunities for groups and draw in people who don’t normally use the library through this expansion programme.”

 

The money, from the council’s capital programme, will help the council save £1.26m over four years through better use of technology and by locating services alongside other organisations.

 

Salford was the first UK city to launch an unconditionally free, public library in 1850

 

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/salford-council-opens-libraries-labour-13710184

 

Three weeks ago Halifax opened a newly refurbished central library, along with some newly restored old buildings in the town centre. Makes you think.

Ditto Liverpool.

This is council madness really; having starved the building of funds for 30 years they now want to shrug it off. They did the same to the market buildings, spent a million + knocking it down and now don't know what to do. Might as well let the Chinese have that site. There will soon by nothing left in the city for all these tourists to come and visit! The council could do worse than look what Chester have just achieved with an old abandoned 1930s cinema, which is now a massive arts centre / cinema / theatre / gallery and pulling people in. Costs were less than anticipated, and less than the council wants to waste here, the result has had national press.

My mrs and a friend had a day out in Chester last week . She came back and never stopped extolling it . Beautiful old buildings , high end shops , small independent shops , very clean . She actually said why cant Sheffield be like that. Now I know Chester is smaller than Sheffield but it shows what could be done with a bit of sensitive planning

My mrs and a friend had a day out in Chester last week . She came back and never stopped extolling it . Beautiful old buildings , high end shops , small independent shops , very clean . She actually said why cant Sheffield be like that. Now I know Chester is smaller than Sheffield but it shows what could be done with a bit of sensitive planning

I agree with your comments about Chester, but they do have a lot of wealthy people who are prepared to spend money.

In Sheffield, that type of person would be viewed with deep suspicion

My mrs and a friend had a day out in Chester last week . She came back and never stopped extolling it . Beautiful old buildings , high end shops , small independent shops , very clean . She actually said why cant Sheffield be like that. Now I know Chester is smaller than Sheffield but it shows what could be done with a bit of sensitive planning

Because the Germans didn't bomb the crap out of it night after night.

Because Chester has never been a city built on heavy industry.

Because Chester was a well founded roman walled city as early as the first century. Sheffield meanwhile, other than sporadic discoveries was not really established as a city until several centuries later.

Because Chester is at the absolute nucleus of one of the most wealthy areas outside London.

Sheffield/Chester cannot even be put in even the same league for comparison.

When will people accept that Sheffield was and still is an industrial city. Its never going to be pretty. Its never going to be on the top of the tourist maps for its architecture. Its never going to be filled with masses of historically important buildings.

We have plenty of expensive brands for those who want it. We have independent stores for those who bother to look for them. We have trendy restaurants. We have cocktail bars. We have hipster cafes.

YES, I concede not as many as places like Chester but that's for the very simple reason that Sheffield doesn't have enough people willing to pay Chester style prices.

As for historic buildings which people scream absolutely positively must be preserved, with exception of those bombed out in wartime, how many really have the council had a direct hand in pulling down without merit.

This preservation argument comes up time and time again but nobody seems to care about the actual economics. Buildings cost money to maintain and renovate. You cannot force a developer to move into one if its unsuitable. You cannot force a developer to spend money doing something up if its going to cost them 10x what a new build would.

No matter how good something may be treasured, leaving it rotting empty isnt good either. If a developer wont pay to maintain it who should? Council tax payers? Cant see that going down very well.

Because the Germans didn't bomb the crap out of it night after night.

 

Because Chester has never been a city built on heavy industry.

 

Because Chester was a well founded roman walled city as early as the first century. Sheffield meanwhile, other than sporadic discoveries was not really established as a city until several centuries later.

 

Because Chester is at the absolute nucleus of one of the most wealthy areas outside London.

 

Sheffield/Chester cannot even be put in even the same league for comparison.

 

When will people accept that Sheffield was and still is an industrial city. Its never going to be pretty. Its never going to be on the top of the tourist maps for its architecture. Its never going to be filled with masses of historically important buildings.

 

We have plenty of expensive brands for those who want it. We have independent stores for those who bother to look for them. We have trendy restaurants. We have cocktail bars. We have hipster cafes.

 

YES, I concede not as many as places like Chester but that's for the very simple reason that Sheffield doesn't have enough people willing to pay Chester style prices.

 

As for historic buildings which people scream absolutely positively must be preserved, with exception of those bombed out in wartime, how many really have the council had a direct hand in pulling down without merit.

 

This preservation argument comes up time and time again but nobody seems to care about the actual economics. Buildings cost money to maintain and renovate. You cannot force a developer to move into one if its unsuitable. You cannot force a developer to spend money doing something up if its going to cost them 10x what a new build would.

 

No matter how good something may be treasured, leaving it rotting empty isnt good either. If a developer wont pay to maintain it who should? Council tax payers? Cant see that going down very well.

Excellent post - well done

Not sure what's going on with the central library but maybe SCC should take a leaf out of Salford council's book

Well it certainly seems to be full of intrigue - enough to make a foreign newspaper take interest:

http://www.atimes.com/article/another-uk-china-deal-ice-amid-secrecy-confusion//

Well it certainly seems to be full of intrigue - enough to make a foreign newspaper take interest:

 

http://www.atimes.com/article/another-uk-china-deal-ice-amid-secrecy-confusion//

Very interesting , I had thought that they had gone very quiet on this deal