Sad day as library fight is finally lost

Broadway library will close tomorrow, dealing a blow to protesters who campaigned to keep it open.

Oldham Council made the announcement today, and said a temporary library will be sited at Turf Lane Community Centre from Monday.

At the end of the month, the library will move into a room at the community centre, with a self-service machine to issue and return books.

South Chadderton councillor Dave Hibbert said: “It’s a sad day.”

He described the temporary facilities at Turf Lane as “basic,” and said he was concerned that what was supposed to be a temporary facility would become long-term.

He said the community centre would be closed during half term, at a traditionally busy time for the library when children made good use of it, and making space for a library facility would impact on other users of an already busy community centre.

Councillor Hibbert said the original closure date of the end of June had suddenly been brought forward, and said he believed someone had expressed a “serious interest” in buying the site.

He added: “My years of experience in regeneration have taught me there is a lot of difference between someone expressing an interest and a building coming up from the ground.”

Councillor John McCann, cabinet member for community services, said: “We realise that this change may cause some inconvenience and we have been at pains to try to minimise that.”

He added: “In the long-term, the plan is for the Broadway library site to be redeveloped and within that there will be access to a library resource.

“In the autumn the new £5 million Health and Well Being Centre will also open in Chadderton and that will offer a new library facility with expanded opening hours, seven days a week, plus an extended range of services.”

Turf Lane community centre will close for two weeks in July for maintenance and building works, and re-open with a “better integrated” library resource.

Councillor McCann said: “During that unavoidable closure period, our plan is to review the mobile library service, ensuring we continue to offer book lending services on a regular basis.”

Notices will be displayed at both Broadway Library and Turf Lane community centre to tell residents about the changes.