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The Facts about Oadby Library
This information sheet has been issued to update library users on the County Council’s plans for the replacement of Oadby’s library:
- The present library is a 40 year old wooden building, which is very near to the end of its life. It is also too small to provide a modern library service for a town the size of Oadby. There is therefore an urgent need to replace it.
- In 2004, Oadby and Wigston Borough Council initiated a partnership project to build a new facility on the Sandhurst Street car park, consisting of a new library, a doctor’s surgery, community facilities and housing association flats. The County Council felt that this was a good project, and were fully supportive of it.
- However, after over 2 years of discussion it became clear that one of the partners would be unable to raise their share of the funding for the new building and that, without this, the project was not viable and could not proceed. This was a situation outside the County Council’s control.
- In the light of this, and because of the condition of the present library building, the County Council had no alternative but to seek another solution, and were completely open with the partners in the project about this.
- Suitable sites of the right size in the town centre rarely come on to the market, so when the building at 10 The Parade became available to let, the County Council decided to act to try to secure this for the new library.
- The building in The Parade is much larger than the current building. It is the same size as the new library building which had been hoped for at Sandhurst Street.
- The building is structurally sound, but in poor condition inside. The plan is to totally modernise this building to the highest standard, to provide all the facilities a modern library service needs for the people of Oadby. This is not a project ‘on the cheap’, as the overall cost of the project will be directly comparable to the total funding of £1.4m originally earmarked for the new building.
- A display to illustrate the style of refurbishment we would expect to achieve will be put up in the present library.
- A public consultation is now underway to find out what facilities and services library users would like from the new service.
- Subject to getting final agreement on a lease for the new building, it is hoped to open the new service early in 2008. This is much earlier than would have been possible with the new building at Sandhurst Street, had it been able to proceed, and will involve much less disruption to the service to library users, as temporary premises will not be needed whilst building work is done.
- It is accepted that parking at the proposed new site is not as good as Sandhurst Street, and the County Council are working to see whether this can be improved. However, an ideal solution is not available, and the present building does urgently need replacing.
- This decision has been taken by the senior management of the Library Service, in consultation with members of the County Council’s Cabinet. If you would like any further information about this, please contact Margaret Bellamy, Head of Library Services, on 0116 305 7378, email mbellamy@leics.gov.uk
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further information
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Contact: Oadby Library
Telephone: 0116 305 8761
e-mail: oadbylibrary@leics.gov.uk
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Last Updated:
1 August 2007
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