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Reporter: Janice Barker
Date online: 30/11/2009
Society, dancing school and bands left homeless
A historical society, two bands and a dance school are homeless after Oldham Council closed Chadderton library.
The books and staff transferred to the new Wellbeing Centre from today but Chadderton Historical Society is furious that its plans for a heritage centre in the old building are in ruins.
Members say they were given only 19 days to clear their archive from the Middleton Road library, which was funded by the American philanthropist Andrew Carnegie.
Samantha Greenwood, owner of Samantha Jayne School of Dance, is still running classes but trying to find a new home for the New Year.
The library, which is in a conservation area, was also used by the Chadderton and Westwood Over 50s bands.
Mark Johnson, historical society chairman, said: “We have spent well over 12 months forming a business plan to use the library as a heritage centre with community use. We thought at a meeting two weeks ago that we would be presented with a lease — instead we were told we had 19 days to clear the building.”
Mike Lawson, society secretary, added: “This has been shoddily handled. We have been evicted and abandoned.
“No-one has taken responsibility for this, no-one knows who is responsible, we have not even had it in writing. We have had to put our archive, which includes furniture and large objects, into storage in barns and garages.”
Samantha Greenwood has owned the dance school, set up 30 years ago by choreographer Sheila Carter, for nine years.
She said: “The council was quite happy to take £700 a month rent off me.
“I have been offered one hour a night in the new dance studio in the Wellbeing centre, but the floor is not suitable for tap, and the rent would treble.”
Councillor Philip Rogers, president of Chadderton Band said: “This is a big shock and I am very disappointed.”
Councillor Mark Alcock, cabinet member for environment and infrastructure, said the closure will save on maintenance and running costs.
He said: “The new Chadderton Wellbeing Centre is going to cost us more than £800,000 a year to run — £700,000 more than was budgeted for. This will already put a considerable strain on our resources. Oldham Council does not have £300,000 to spend on keeping a building open that is in such a state of bad repair.”
The library will be marketed for sale early in the New Year, he added, and officers hope to work with the local groups to find alternative accommodation.
Have Your Say
I take it this council don't want to stay in power after the next local elections?
Add yourselves to the ever growing list. Oldham council is prepared to steam roll any venue, whether its part of the towns heritage or not. This borough will be a soulless ghost town very soon.
oh yet another place being shutdown by ombc. it'll probably be knocked down and the land sold off cheaply!
this seems to be a record thats got stuck!
latics beware!!
i am also really considering challenging sykes in the next elections. oldham was abused under labour but at east the services continued. all the liberals seem to be doing is shutting things down and failing the people of oldham by not providing alternatives.
Where does Councillor Alcock get his £300,000 to keep Chadderton Library Building open. Thats a complete fabrication and he knows it!!
And whose fault is it that the building is in a bad state of repair with water pouring in through the roof?
This is another Oldham Town Hall, Werneth Park Music Rooms, Eustace Street School all over again!
Cllr Alcock, need I say any more.
Yes the other posters have hit it on the nail, pity not onthe lid that closes this joke of a council, The Lib Dems are closing all public services in Chadderton. (no Lib Dem rep in Chadderton you see) I see it as a ploy to get into Chadderton by saying in the next election that'll get these services back as it was Labours fault that we lost it! Nope Lab. did not, Lib Dems took it away.
Since when does Cllr Alcock have any say over what we do here in Chadderton anyway.
They cannot even get their sums right, so they chop every one elses funds.....
I think it is time that Chadderton went on it's own!
What’s happening at Oldham Council it seems like the town’s sports, social & voluntary groups are under siege? First it’s Dr. Kershaw’s & the CAMRA Beer Festival and now read about the Chadderton Historical Society, two brass bands and a dancing school shamefully being thrown out onto the streets and no room for the over 0s table tennis either.
Far from being a Wellbeing Centre it looks like it’s an ill wind for local people.
DN Austerlands
Just remeber this fiasco when the elections come round .....
All this from a council that wants us to believe Oldham is a good place to live. Just what exactly do they expect us to do for leisure in this town? They accuse us of drinking to much, but what else is there to do?
First chance I get & i'm moving as far away from this hole as I possibly can.
The Liberal party of Oldham District are proving to be just a efficient as the Labour party. As the old saying goes, 'Couldn't organise a pissup in a brewery' rings very apt. The way things are going people of Chadderton should band together, stop paying rates etc to OMBC and go it alone as history will show Chadderton UDC could look after it's residents, parks, roads etc. The mind boggles at the next building to be closed down.
I predict that this magnificent building will no longer exist in 12 months time.Chaddy baths next door, and the old police station represent a decent size plot of land.No doubt cllr. Alcock and his cronys are already spending the money they will get on future jollys.Carnegie must be turning in his grave!
Yet another public relations success for Oldham Council! It's all right saying you can get rid of them at the next elections but the Chief Executive (minimum 150,000 pounds a year) and others are not elected.
oldham concil selling its heritige AGAIN this place is turning into a JOKE of epic proportions, as others have said, the library with the baths and cop shop is a NICE piece of land for sale!! tesco's anyone??
got a great flyer through yesterday from the liberals basically saying that gordon brown wants you to vote conservative. and the liberals are pleading for you not to as they have no chance. well i suggest they might.
we've had labour here in recent years, we've had liberals here in recent years and they've all been useless.
we might stand a better chance with someone who hasnt!
£12,000 a month to a security firm to look after Eustace Street School. What will it cost us for the Library. The Council should pay the 4 groups they have thrown out to look after it. If this happened in Saddleworth they would declare independence
Are the people of Chadderton going to sit back and let this Council sell off a building which was given to them as a gift to support their educational wellbeing? We are totally lacking community facillities in Chadderton. These people from up yon can pull rabbits from a hat for other parts of the borough will they do that just before the election and claim that they have saved the day?
If only this council was history !!!!!
How could this is the council who think they could run the Wellbeing Centre for £100,000 when Chadderton Library would cost "£300,000 to keep the building open" that is in such a state of bad repair.”
And exactly who's fault is it that the building is in such a state of bad repair.”
By MAD4IT @ 30/11/2009 12:56:08
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