This month, I joined Cllr Ann Rampling and Makerfield MP Yvonne Fovargue in highlighting a review of Library provision in the Borough.Council Bosses have now started a review which could lead to the closure of Ashton Library.
Please sign the online petition I have started here.
You can also contribute your views to the council's consultation here.
8 comments:
I believe Ashton Library is the third busiest Library in the borough, so what is the realistic possibility of it being shut?
To answer the question I think that I need to give some background to the cuts that Wigan Council has been asked to implement by this Coalition Government.
The Government's final settlement to fund local authorities was worse for Wigan than anticipated. The Council has been asked to save over £55 million in three years. For the year 2011/2012 the Council will have to save £25 million.
The scale of the cuts means that every service delivered by the council must be reconsidered to determine if this is still the most appropriate and cost effective way of doing things. This means some tough decisions over the next three years that will have a serious, long term impact on local communities and staff. Influencing each of these decisions is the need to protect our local economy, the most vulnerable in our communities and future opportunities for our young people. To achieve this, front line services must be put first and costs must be driven down. However the reality is that the council can not deliver the current, extensive range of services, maintain the same number of premises or preside over the same levels of grant aid with such reduced resources. Some services and sources of funding may be reduced, others withdrawn completely or another organisation may take on the delivery of that service on our behalf.
The message is clear that front line services must be put first, costs must be driven down, the council does less but does it better and that any investment will only be made on the basis of it achieving long term savings or financial gain for the Borough. No protection can be afforded to any particular service.
The message is as stark as that. That is why it is vital that we make the Council aware that this is a very valuable front line service.
But as the cuts in services are the most drastic that this Council has asked to make even greater than those in the 80s I will repeat that no service is safe regardless of its popularity with local residents.
So you are saying in effect that Ashton Library is under threat and can hence be quoted on that?
I can't believe you are trying to blame the Tories for the closure of the Library. Isn't it Wigan Council via the leisure trust that run the library? If the library shuts it is down to Labour no one else!
Normally I do not answer anonymous comments but I will make an exception in this case.
The reason that the Council is having to review the library service in Wigan is because of the ConDem Government's settlement for local Government spending. This has been a disaster for Wigan which has had to to save £55 million over 3 years a reduction of 6.21%
This settlement is the most political settlement since the Thatcher Government capped 22 Labour authorities in 1990.
The Labour Authorities in this region have had even more savage cuts made to their finances eg Manchester reduced by 8.9% Rochdale reduced by 8.91% - I could go on - and am happy to provide further figures if anyone wants them.
Compare this with Dorset who have had an increase of 0.25% and Surrey whose settlement has only been reduced by 0.31% - both Tory controlled authorities.
Margaret Eaton, Chair of the Local Government Association said ' This is the worst settlement in living memory' - and she is a Tory.
So, to sum up, the answer to your question is yes I do blame this ConDem Government for Wigan Council having to review the current library provision in Wigan.
Hi Nigel
I think this site gets anonymous posting due to the plethora of passwords and user names one has in this electonic age. Just as one remembers banking details without too much trouble, there is a change to security and new passwords etc. So much as I like your Blog it is way down the list of memorable passwords. I am anonymous one and two.
To get back to Ashton Library, despite the cuts fair or otherwise to be realitic if Ashton Library is to shut we will be left with Leigh and Wigan Library. Really I think this photo shoot is a bit of politics, as practiced by all politicians.
Alan
Once I originally commented I clicked the -Notify me when new feedback are added- checkbox and now every time a comment is added I get four emails with the identical comment. Is there any way you possibly can remove me from that service? Thanks!
Who is the woman in the red?
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