Conservatives calls made for a new library in north of Portsmouth
CALLS have been made for another new modern library to be built in Portsmouth.
Conservatives on Portsmouth City Council say the success of Southsea’s new library could be repeated in Cosham.
The library, cafe and customer service centre in Southsea’s Palmerston Road replaced a closed Woolworths store when it opened in July last year.
It immediately proved successful with more than 1,300 people joining the library and over 18,000 items borrowed by customers during its first month of being open.
At a meeting of the full Portsmouth City Council Tory culture spokesman, Cllr Jim Fleming, said: ‘The user figures at Southsea Library speak for themselves.
‘The current Cosham library is not exactly disabled-user friendly and we will need to address this in the near future, so why not take the opportunity to bring a new cultural life to Cosham?
‘This isn’t just about books and libraries – although it would certainly help literacy levels in the city – but it’s about the whole cultural offering that a new revamped library could provide.
‘If it’s good enough for Southsea, it’s good enough for Cosham and my colleagues and I will continue to press the council for this investment.’
Lib Dem cabinet member for culture Lee Hunt said the council was looking into building a new library in Cosham already.
‘We have been doing this without them asking,’ he said.
‘We have visited a number of premises in Cosham and we are preparing the way for a new library.
‘I’m glad the Tories have changed their minds but they originally said Southsea would be a waste of money.
‘It has been a phenomenal success and it is not surprising that this suggestion is coming now, just before an election.’
Leader of the council, Cllr Gerald Vernon-Jackson, pointed out that the Tories had initially opposed the new library in Southsea.
‘I think they should publicly apologise for getting it so wrong and voting against the Southsea library in the first place,’ he said.
Conservative group leader Simon Bosher said that it was a long held ambition of his party to build a new library in the north of the city.
‘It is disappointing that the Lib Dems are playing politics like this,’ he said. ‘Because we have been working very, very hard to get a new library and in the past they have never been supportive of it.
‘We were never against the principle of Southsea library, only its cost.’
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Comments
There are 16 comments to this article
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snapdog
Thursday, February 9, 2012 at 10:16 AM@Little Al the word 'Libel' mean anything to you?
Little Al
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 08:45 PMComment removed by moderator
Back Seat Driver
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 05:37 PMFunny how all we hear about the Southsea Library is about its huge success. Seems to me that if you set up a nice warm place in the Shopping Centre, serve tea, coffee and cakes and provide free access to the internet, then its quite likely that people will use it. Not so sure they would use it if they had to pay for it - but as ratepayers the rest of us have no choice but to pay for it. The upstairs is basically empty and as the place is rented it will cost us all for years and years - hardly a good use of public money at all.
Lee Hunt
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 04:36 PMDear Airwolf @ 12. I am delighted to tell you that no member of staff will be made redundant to pay for the new 'self-serve' technology as was first envisaged; this is thanks to careful management of costs and posts; so that's really good news and all staff have been informed. We want people to use libraries and not be worried by fines, so we will soon have a day when everyone's slate can be wiped clean and that's a good thing too. Paulsgrove library is NOT being 'closed' to pay for 'Drayton'. We are working across services to see how we can improve Paulsgrove's branch nearby in a location that people like to go and get more people using the services. I am looking at the success of the new Southsea branch and wanting to bring the same kind of success to more areas - it's not easy on a declining budget; but it's worth it - to get more and more people involved if at all possible. All these explorations are at an early stage and need more investigative work Hope this helps. Cllr Lee hunt
Airwolf
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 03:54 PMMaybe lee can also tell us how he plans to close down paulsgrove library which is the only fully owned council building and use the cash to fund a drayton library where he wants some new lib dem votes..... or why he's putting in automated checking in and out machines in libraries and cutting staff? Or why old members of elm grove when joining the new library had their fines wiped out as an incentive to join the new library?
Little Al
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 03:20 PMLee, im not gonna get involved in party politics as I think the only difference between the two groups, is that the Lib Dems have more gays in their group( a factual observation, nothing personal) You are talking aout hoodwinking so what is your view on the Lord Mayor Cllr Cheryl Buggy, where she has stated she didnt declare her companys secret council contract a 'couple of times', when it was 6 times and she also made false statements about it? I would like to see you lead from the front and put yourself up for leader as we knowGVJ knew about her dealings and decided to say nothing. Im not gonna put anything cheap up here as I know you want the city to improve. With that why not lead from the front and get Williams andLawther suspended?
Little Al
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 03:11 PMHi Lee, Hope you are well. When are you going to dump the Strategic Directors and the CEO. A combined cost of nearly a million quid. They run the staff, sickness costs over £6 mill a year and Williams since has come here has done absolutely nothing which has improved the figures substantially. I just cant understand it, people elect people in to do a job, you guys are accountable. These useless hierarchal officers who have diddly squat get paid about 80 to 90 grand more and they are not accountable. Why have them? Lets get a mayor in and im not talking about the current nightmare either.
Airwolf
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 02:45 PMSnap she hasnt said there wasnt a library in southsea. As for lee hunt perhaps he could explain how his fellow party members have been slashing the budget for library staff these last few years? As for the figures for southsea I would like to see Mr hunt publish the figures for elm grove and if the membership figures for southsea include those people transfered from elm grove?
Rosie2412
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 02:12 PMErr didn't the tories vote against the new Southsea Library, saying there was nothing wrong with the old one?
snapdog
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 01:14 PM@Cuteface.... emmm there is a library in southsea it clearly states that in the 3rd paragraph....
Scourge
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 01:14 PMDo not build a library. Cut the overmanned and overpaid council officers and number of councillors. Then reduce council taxes, which have been rising at twice the rate of inflation under this profligate administration.
Shandy Andy
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 01:01 PMAbout time someone looked at the local library here. I've not been in there for over a year as I much prefer the one in town to the dated one here. It might help the high street shops here too as they are dying on their feet.
cuteface
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 12:01 PMThink it's a bad idea there's already two libraries in the north of the city and they are both good nothing wrong with them.I love libraries but think it will be a waste of money.Maybe improve schools i.e learning,reading etc then more people wil enjoy reading books then more people will go to libraries. Southsea needed a new library because elm grove was too small and had not many books but cosham library and paulsgrove are big enough and don't need changing.
grammarschoolboy
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 10:43 AMI remember a perfectly good terrace of houses next to The New Inn being demolished to make way for a new library for the Drayton area.What happened?.......Nothing! So now some Tory wants to see if Cosham needs a new one? They have one and it is perfectly sufficient for the needs of that area.Concentrate funds where they are needed Mr Publicity Seeker and leave Cosham library alone.
PJ68
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 10:31 AM@ Cllr Hunt Calm down dear you'll give yourself a heartattack though its a bit much to blame the tories for not delivering a library before now especially as weve not had a tory council since the 80s
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