Community gets a library offer

March 2014
Swansea Leader: Newspaper of the City and County of Swansea;  Issue 90  March 2014 (page 4).  Community gets a library offer

Pennard Library

THE COMMUNITY of Pennard will have the chance to run, develop and contribute to their own library service.

It’s anticipated the Council will be working with Pennard residents to look at how the community facility would work and how it would be funded.

The Council agreed to make no decision on its future before the end of the year while discussions take place.

A wide-ranging review of the Council’s library service is also planned.

Council and community could come together to save Pennard library

08 FEB 2014

Pennard Library

From: South Wales Evening Post; Saturday February 08, 2014
http://www.southwales-eveningpost.co.uk/Hopes-saving-library/story-20587807-detail/story.html

LIBRARY campaigners in Pennard are being told if next week’s council budget is approved by cabinet, they will have to work with Swansea Council to keep it going.  It had been earmarked for closure but cabinet next week will be asked to look at the way in which the community can help run it.  Nick Bradley, cabinet member for regeneration, said: “There were strong views expressed by residents and during the budget consultation process we listened very carefully to what they had to say. That’s why we want to look at what can be achieved through the council and the community working together to ensure the library has a sustainable long-term future. ”We’re proposing the council continues to operate Pennard Library for now while we work with the community.”

Budget D-Day for Swansea

06 FEB 2014

Budget D-Day for Swansea;  Council’s cabinet to decide on £26million cuts

From: swanseasound; Thursday, February 6th 2014
http://www.swanseasound.co.uk/news/local/budget-d-day-for-swansea/

Swansea Council’s cabinet will meet next week to decide how the authority’s going to slash £26million from its budget over the next financial year.  Four months of public consultation have now ended and final decisions have to be made by councillors.  Council leader David Phillips said:   “This has been the most open and extensive consultation the Council has done and we want to thank the people of Swansea for getting involved and making a contribution.  “I believe the changes we’ve made as a result strengthens our ambition that the Council will be smarter, leaner and more efficient in the years ahead.”  The report to Cabinet next week details a range of amendments to the original budget proposals which have taken into account public feedback.

Pennard Library

The key elements of the report to Cabinet next week include:

The proposed closure of Pennard Library to be put on hold to allow for further discussions and a review of library services.

Hundreds of people attend Pennard Library closure plan meetings

19 DEC 2013

Hundreds of people attend Pennard Library closure plan meetings

From: South Wales Evening Post; Thursday December 19, 2013
http://www.southwales-eveningpost.co.uk/Hundreds-people-attend-Pennard-Library-closure/story-20343549-detail/story.html
and
200 show library concern
From: South Wales Evening Post; Thursday December 19, 2013 (page 12)
Around 200 people have attended meetings about the proposed closure of Pennard Library, with several of them planning to quiz senior Swansea Council figures today.

Pennard Library

Pennard community councillor Lynda James said the library was the hub of a close community and that its future had aroused strong feelings.  She said she was expecting a decent South Gower turnout at a budget consultation event at West Cross Community Centre at 5pm this afternoon.

“The majority want to fight the closure” said Mrs James,

Closing the library would save the authority £36,4000 [sic: £36,400]  –  part of a series of proposals to save the authority £25million next financial year.

“People do appreciate the difficult times we live in,” said Mrs James.  “The people of Pennard are intelligent and well-educated, but they think that it (the proposed closure) is being pushed too quickly.”

She added that local people could be receptive to discussions about maintaining the library as community-run “in some format”.

Another meeting about the planned closure takes place at 7pm at Kittle’s Beaufort Inn.

The council said it looked forward to hearing the community’s views.