Pressure over library vote

Councillors may reluctantly support cuts

HUNGERFORD’S district councillors have said they may reluctantly vote for budget cuts which could spell the end for their town library.

James Podger and Paul Hewer were speaking to this newspaper following their attendance at a packed public meeting at the Croft Field Activity Centre on Friday.

Meanwhile town mayor Martin Crane expressed his frustration at the apparent inability of their colleagues to provide a proper financial breakdown for the projected closure savings.

Friends of Hungerford Library chairman, town councillor Keith Knight, summarised the threat to the community and opened the meeting to the public.

One speaker, Emma Bins, said: “The real villain of the piece here is our Government.

“It’s unfair to take all the business rates we generate here in West Berkshire and do this to us in return.

“We must put more pressure on [local MP] Richard Benyon.

“It’s shameful and they shouldn’t be allowed to get away with it.

“And surely West Berkshire councillors could have foregone such large pay rises recently?”

Former town councillor and Liberal Democrat candidate for the district council, Denise Gaines, said: “We’re losing or we’ve lost our community centre, toilets, buses, library – when do we stop being the poor relation of West Berkshire?”

She was admonished by Mr Knight for “getting political”.

Tina Harrigan-Jones, a former head of English at John O’Gaunt School who led a successful campaign against district council plans for an ‘all-through superschool’ for Hungerford, told the meeting: “We need to come up with an alternative plan.

“There’s a statutory duty for people to have access to books of some kind, especially the elderly, disabled and unemployed.”

She stressed that the focus of any future strategy should be on that statutory right and on the finances.

Mike Morecroft said: “It’s the place that enthused my children to read. This is something that really matters to us.”

After the meeting Mrs Gaines said: “I think the issue is political.

“And I call upon our district councillors to oppose the cuts which would result in the loss of vital services including our library.”

Friends of Hungerford Library committee member, Helen Simpson, said afterwards: “We expect James Podger and Paul Hewer to support the residents of Hungerford in their bid to save Hungerford Library.”

Mr Hewer and Mr Podger (both Con, Hungerford) expressed their sympathy with the group’s aims at the meeting.

Afterwards Mr Hewer declined to say whether he would vote, at an executive meeting of West Berkshire Council, for or against the cuts package.

He added: “I want to wait until the end of the consultation period. I’m still hopeful that a way can be found to save the library despite the cuts.”

Mr Podger said: “My view is that [portfolio holder] Hilary Cole (Con, Chievely) and [council leader] Roger Croft (Con, Thatcham South and Crookham) have put in a huge amount of work and effort and that the officers I’ve had contact with do a good job.

“But they’re between a rock and a hard place. I therefore support the decisions they’re making. However I’m disappointed with the settlement figure from central Government and feel let down by them.”

He added: “We have to take collective responsibility. But Hilary [Cole] has intimated to me we will be able to find a third way, through some sort of volunteer service, to keep the library. I’m hopeful that will be the case.

“However if the funding has to be withdrawn I would support that if it’s the only thing we can do – but with a heavy heart.”

Town mayor Martin Crane said he was continuing to press council chiefs, alongside Mr Hewer and Mr Podger, for a breakdown of the figures used to calculate the estimated savings accrued by closing Hungerford Library.

Meanwhile Hungerford Town Council has scheduled an extraordinary meeting of the full council for Monday, February 29, at 7pm in the Corn Exchange.