Agenda and minutes

The Chairman welcomed everyone to the meeting.

Apologies were received from Cllr Alan Amos, Cllr Matt Dormer, Tim Reid (Church Representative and Mark Hughes (Parent Governor Representative).

Councillor Brandon Clayton advised that he was a Member of Redditch Borough Council but was attending today’s meeting in his capacity as a Worcestershire County Councillor.

Members of the public wishing to take part should notify the Assistant Director for Legal and Governance in writing or by e-mail indicating both the nature and content of their proposed participation no later than 9.00am on the working day before the meeting (in this case 24 October 2022).  Further details are available on the Council's website.  Enquiries can also be made through the telephone number/e-mail address listed in this agenda and on the website.

The public participants in attendance made comments, asked questions and presented a petition relating to Item 4 – the relocation of Redditch Library.  The participants were Councillor Joe Baker, Redditch Borough Council (presenting a petition and reading out a statement from Councillor Juma Begum, Redditch Borough Council), Sharon Burton Fletcher, Emily Tyrell, Oliver Hale, Ronnie Webb, Phil Berry, Councillor Saheed Khan, Redditch Borough Council (reading out statements on behalf of Andrea Berry and Katie Hackett), David Munro, Derek Coombes and Councillor Juliet Smith, Redditch Borough Council.

The main points made by the public participants were around the reasons why Redditch Library should stay in its current location, including:

·       a recent refurbishment costing £1m

·       the financial implications of the relocation to the Borough Council, which was irreversible

·       doubt that the plans would stimulate economic growth when existing pubs and restaurants were under threat of closure and Redditch already had too many café’s

·       The demolition of a functioning building, the disposal of the waste material and the effect on the carbon footprint

·       The need for the library to be purpose built rather than being part of another building and the effect of moving the library on the existing footfall

·       Concerns that the existing staff may lose their jobs

·       Continuity of the Library service whilst the new library was being built

·       The possible negative effect on the footfall of the Kingfisher Shopping Centre by moving the library

·       The need for a sensory room in the new library going ahead

·       Accessibility issues associated with moving the library

·       Concern about moving some of the town’s archives to the Hive, Worcester and the potential impact on access to them for Redditch residents

·       The need for the consultation to be accessible to all and be multilingual.

The Chairman thanked the members of the public for their participation. As some of the comments and questions related to Redditch Borough Council, the Chairman advised the public that they would receive a written response to the relevant part of their submission which related to Worcestershire County Council.

The Board considered the Report on the proposed re-location of Redditch Library, which was being considered by Cabinet on 27 October 2022.

The Chairman explained that the focus of the meeting was to consider the proposed library relocation from Worcestershire County Council’s (the Council’s) perspective, in particular whether this was the best solution to ensure long term sustainability.

Cllr Dormer, a Member of the Board was attending the meeting in his capacity as Leader of Redditch Borough Council (RBC). Cllr Dormer was invited to address the meeting and made the following points:

·       Following the Government’s major Town Deal investment in Redditch, the relocation of the library was one of three key projects (which had been prioritised as a result of public consultation) that the Town Deal Board had agreed to progress.

·       The intended aims of the Project included the economic benefits from revitalising the area, increased footfall to the Kingfisher Shopping Centre, creation of an open public plaza space and improved connectivity to the historic centre.

·       The relocation of the library would not result in any loss of library services and therefore there would be no disadvantage for local people.

The Cabinet Member with Responsibility (CMR) for Communities highlighted that the RBC and the Council had different roles in this process. The Overview and Scrutiny Performance Board (OSPB) was focussed on the role of the Council and the fulfilment of its statutory duty regarding library services. The CMR reassured Members of the OSPB that the proposed relocation of the library would not result in any loss of facilities for residents. The Council was being open and transparent and would, if agreed by Cabinet, carry out a major consultation process from 7 November 2022 to 24 February 2023. This process would be accessible to all local residents via online, paper and face to face means. The results would be published in May 2023.

The Assistant Director for Communities drew attention to the proposed technical requirements in the report, including the commercial arrangements, operational/ service conditions and collaboration opportunities which would be used to protect the Council’s interests. Redditch library was the second most popular library in the County and the Council was keen to develop it further by exploring collaborative arrangements with other partners to enhance the provision of services available to Redditch residents.  The proposed relocation plans and commercial arrangements set out in the Report and the assurances that they contained was highlighted.

During the opportunity for Members questions, the following main points were made:

·       The Assistant Director confirmed that following successful trials at Stourport and Droitwich libraries, an out of hours open library service was proposed for the new library to extend the opening hours.

·       With regard to a sensory room, the Board was informed that this was not currently available at Redditch library, however, funding options were being explored and if this proved viable, this facility would also be included in the proposed move.

·       The questions relating to (i) how the rubble from the proposed demolition of the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 1287.