Future delivery of the Albrighton library service and Customer ServicePoint

Response by the Committee of Albrighton & District Civic Society

Option 1 – transfer of assets and the management of the library to Albrighton Parish council.
Do you agree – Yes
Comment.
Option 1 puts the future of the asset in the hands of people who use the facility and who live in Albrighton.
The drawing of the proposed new layout Option E Layout was reviewed by the Committee and we have the
following observations/suggestions.
We understand that the “meeting room” is sized so large to accommodate fortnightly meetings of the full
parish council and members of the public. We also understand that the parish council intend that this room
is also available for use by village groups such as the writers circle etc. This proposed Option E Layout now
included a solid wall to be built some 2m into the library from the current sliding partition.
We suggest that a better layout is to install a movable wall between the meeting room and the library space
and to position it nearer to the location of the current sliding partition.
A review of possible types of movable wall could be made to identify the most appropriate type but our first
thoughts are to use a “concertina type” similar to that which was used for many years in the old layout of the
Red House.
We believe that this has the following advantages:-
a) The meeting room would take up less space and provide more area for the library area.
b) Many council meetings when only a few or no members of the public are present would be
accommodated within this smaller meeting room area.
c) for council meetings, which are usually in the evening when the library space is closed, where there
are many members of the public present the movable wall may be opened up to create a much larger
space to accommodate many members of the public in the adjacent library space.
d) small meetings of community groups could use the meeting room with the movable wall closed.
e) large meetings of community groups could, with permission of the council/library, have the movable
wall opened up.
Thus a movable wall provides all the facility as in proposed Option E Layout but will in addition also provide
more flexibility for the operation of the meeting room to suit the numbers of people to be accommodated - a
benefit to the Parish Council
This suggestion takes away less space from the library – a benefit to the Library.
Attached is a marked up drawing illustrating this suggestion which we call Option X Layout.
Option 2 – library and assets to stay under the management of Shropshire Council
Do you agree – No
Reasons: it is likely that the reduced hours will lead to less use and the conclusion that the library is not
viable and it will eventually close. Option 1 provides not just a library service but a community asset.
On behalf of the Albrighton & District Civic Society Committee
Rod Smith, Secretary
rod.smith@elwoodinternational.com

Library Layout Opton X - Civic Society suggestion

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