Llandudno....Venue Cymru plans that will see library move 'a done deal'

 
This is shocking and so wrong. Why doesn't public opinion matter to the council? A NORTH Wales council’s  bid for £10 million of UK government funding to revamp a “tired” Venue Cymru is much stronger, with plans for moving a town  library there included.

Conwy County Council’s cabinet will likely vote in favour today (Tuesday) for closing Llandudno library on Mostyn Street and moving the service to Venue Cymru, despite a public consultation indicating most residents are against the move.

At a special economy and place overview and scrutiny committee meeting last week, Conwy’s leader Cllr Charlie McCoubrey hinted Venue Cymru was “unsustainable” without the much-needed funding, despite earlier assurances the money was not dependent on the library moving to the site.

But now the council has officially confirmed that it believes the bid is “much stronger” with the library move included in the plans to revamp the venue into an “art centre”.

A council spokeswoman said : “The UK Government investment in Venue Cymru is subject to submission of a suitable business case. Whilst the funding isn’t reliant upon the library moving, we believe that the business plan is much stronger with the library included, because it will deliver integrated cultural services and provide a fully accessible library, developed with modern users in mind.”

She added: “In addition, co-location of services assists in helping the council reduce costs and thereby sustain services.”

Cllr Louise Emery said: “There were hints at the meeting that, if we didn’t agree to this, not only would the library close but Venue Cymru could potentially close. I just do not believe this. I think this was a way to put pressure on councillors to agree to this vanity project on the side of Venue Cymru, which is going to lose this council money in years to come.”

The latest twist comes after Cllr Emery questioned figures that suggested the move would bring “£126k a year savings”.

Cllr Emery claims the council is only responsible for 38% of a £46,000 electricity bill, listed as part of the  “savings”, as the existing library building on Mostyn Street has other occupants.

Cllr Emery went on to express concern that councillors were ignoring a  recent public consultation – which revealed 76% of 999 residents felt moving the library could cause access issues – as well as a petition with over 1,000 signatures protesting against the move.

“This consultation was done at very short notice in a short period of time to allow people to respond, and yet there was an enormous amount of responses followed by the largest petition ever submitted to Conwy County Council,” said Cllr Emery.

“People feel really passionate about keeping the library on the high street. None of the other councillors seemed to acknowledge that. They just dismissed it. They thought that they knew best.”

Aberconwy MS Janet Finch-Saunders was also critical that the council was pushing ahead with the library move, following an 8-4 scrutiny committee vote last week, with only the cabinet to rubberstamp the decision tomorrow.

“From the beginning of this year, I have submitted several questions and FOI requests to the head of service, fearing a lack of transparency following the public consultation held,” she said.

“They were very slow to respond and have yet to cover all my questions posed. The delays to the democratic process regarding this very controversial issue convince me more now the information is forthcoming that this has always been a 'fait accomplis' and that those residents duped into responding to the consultation was a complete waste of their time and efforts.”

Mrs Finch-Saunders added: “To learn that the committee report going before councillors on Wednesday was so seriously flawed in terms of the actual business case and associated costings to support the move is another affront to democracy. I shall continue to challenge the council cabinet at every single stage.”

She added: “My residents, business owners, and visitors already opposed to this move deserve much better.”

Conwy’s cabinet will debate the matter on Tuesday, July 8 at the council’s Coed Pella HQ, where the council’s head of finance is also expected to reveal the results of her investigation into the figures cited as an electricity bill saving. From....https://www.northwalespioneer.co.uk/news/25296133.venue-cymru-plans-will-see-library-move-a-done-deal/

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