Residents want to set up town council to resurrect Fenton Library
FRUSTRATED residents are planning to set up their own town council in a bid to rescue an axed community facility.
Campaigners hoping to reopen Fenton Library believe setting up a local authority in the town will help secure funding to resurrect the venue.
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Stoke-on-Trent City Council closed the library, which had 51,994 visits in a year, as part of the authority's budget cuts. The move will save the council £91,000 this year.
Now families say they are sick of Fenton being "the forgotten town" and want to have more say on what happens in the area.
More than 100 residents gathered in Temple Street Methodist Church last night to discuss what to do with the closed library and neighbouring magistrates' court, which is also due to close under Government plans.
Alan Gerrard, who owns Christchurch Street gallery theartbay , is a member of the Art Venue group which is looking to transform the venues into a thriving community resource.
He said: "I have had a meeting with Stoke-on-Trent City Council over our proposals to hold art exhibitions and competitions in the building, but they were not well received."
Mr Gerrard's plans also include resurrecting the popular cyber cafe that was part of the library, and introducing a creche in the light of the uncertainty surrounding services at Fenton Children's Centre.
He added: "I think forming our own town council is the way to go, as we would then be able to have a say on a council tax precept with those funds coming to us.
"We would also be able to access regeneration funding."
During a heated meeting, Stoke-on-Trent South MP Rob Flello said the city council remains keen to speak to Mr Gerrard and his community group.
He said: "The officers at the council are happy to help build on the group's business plan to make sure they are successful."
Mr Flello also said a backlog of repairs on the library would cost £300,000 with the annual upkeep an estimated £30,000.
Members of Art Venue say they remain confident that external funds, including grants, could be obtained to support the landmark building.
Mother-of-two Susan Wheeldon said the loss of the library has been a major blow to the community.
The 45-year-old, of Opal Road, said: "My four-year-old, Saxon, cried when they closed the library and before I came to the meeting he said to me 'ask the men to open it again'.
"I think forming our own town council is a great idea."
Fellow parent Julie Gallimore, aged 38, of Welby Street, added: "I used to love taking my two children to the library during the school holidays.
"Reading is such an important part of a child's development and they should have access to books.
"Books are expensive and parents can't afford to keep buying them."
3 Comments
by theartbay
Friday, July 29 2011, 4:40PM
“At the meeting on Wednesday there appeared to be strong support for Fenton's own Town Council. There are 10,000 town and parish councils in England and Wales serving around 40% of the population. While it would be a new thing for Stoke-on-Trent, they already exist in cities such as London, Birmingham and Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Town Councils are NOT intended to be aggressive breakaways from city councils but partners to them. Empowering local communities to become more independent socio-economically and in terms of regeneration. Town councils fit perfectly within the concepts of The Big Society and The Mandate for Change.”
by Johnnyfstoke
Thursday, July 28 2011, 6:17PM
“I find it most encouraging to hear that so many people attended a meeting to discuss the regeneration of their community.
Much is written about Stoke folk some good some not so good , one characteristic that I have noticed is that they tend to be passive and easy going at times , this can be both a strength and a weakness , sadly in the matter of local politics it tends to be a weakness as decisions are made by people with either no stake in the community or their own agenda to follow.
A Fenton town council as long as it included a realistic budget would really demand in increase in community involvement and local accountability. The square in Fenton is the most attractive in the 6 towns yet will be practically disused when the court closes, such neglect including the cosure of the library should be challenged indeed many libraries have been saved in areas of high community involvement in recent weeks .
So good luck to the people of Fenton , whatever the outcome make your representitives and their officers work hard to deliver what you want .”
by Dizzy1960
Thursday, July 28 2011, 3:54PM
“I attended this meeting last night and was pleased to see alot of community interest who put their views across clearly and strongly at times. lol. However, I felt that our local representatives hearts weren't in it. The setting up of a Fenton Town Council once again will give the people more control of their local community and rid them of having to wait for funding coming from the council for projects they feel will benefit the community with Fenton Library and in the future, Fenton Magistrates Court for community use. A community facility developed with the community's intersts at heart would bring the town into the 21st century and the Community Association should be congratulated for their hard work. But believe me, the hard work has only just begun and its the residents of this community that can take this city forward. Lets hope they succeed?”