Stockport council's leader has slammed her opponents' 'Harry Potter politics’ as bosses finally signed off on controversial plans to move the town’s central library.
Chiefs had already approved proposals to move the service from its historic home on the A6 to ‘Stockroom’ - a £47,000 sqft ‘learning and discovery centre’ at Merseyway.
But significant opposition to the project remained, leading to the Tory and Lib Dems groups ‘calling in’ the decision, and the issue again being debated at a meeting of the full council.
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A motion was tabled calling on the Labour chiefs to ‘rescind the decision to move Central Library’, while continuing with the £14.5m Stockroom project - which also includes a sensory room, performance space and a café.
But at a meeting on Tuesday night, cabinet members agreed to forge ahead with the plans, which are bankrolled by the government’s Future High Streets Fund.
It appears to bring to an end a lengthy saga which has been hotly debated since details first began to emerge in the autumn of 2020.
Council leader Elise Wilson hailed the move as a boost for the people of Stockport - from the ‘11,000 adults who have trouble reading’ and town centre businesses, to young families who stopped using the library as it ‘no longer serves their needs’
And she appeared to take a swipe at those who opposed the library relocation over the last 18 months.
“What is unacceptable is when councillors stop serving the interests of the people of Stockport and shift to serving their own for political purposes,” she said.
“Because what you notice when they move from the non-fiction section to the fiction section, is they promise everyone everything - ‘you can do Stockroom, and you can have the library services elsewhere, and you can have this and you can have that’.
“It’s Harry Potter politics, waving a wand, making money appear, throwing an invisibility cloak over the real challenges our town centre faces - and I’m not willing to do it.”
More than 7,000 people signed a petition against moving Central Library and the council’s consultation process was heavily criticised in some quarters.
But the Labour chief insisted that her group was taking the right decision, ‘even if it does not please the most vocal’.
“Because analysis shows it will support the most vulnerable, and because every penny matters,” she said.
“There are costs associated with delaying, removing the library from Stockroom and exploring other options would cost £5m over five years and £0.5m every year after.
“Stockroom stacks up. We have £14.5m to make it happen and I say let’s get on with it.”
Despite the contentious nature of the issue there was ultimately broad support for Stockroom itself - if not the moving of Central Library from its historic home.
And a compromise of sorts appears to have been reached as part of the final decision.
A cross-party group will now work on proposals to move the borough’s adult education service from Hardman Street to the current Central Library building.
This will also explore the possibility of a ‘linked library offer’ that could see some books retained there for people who use the service.
Deputy leader Coun Tom McGee said it was ‘imperative’ the group now had constructive talks.
He said: “I think if we can take out of the glare and get real questions and serious debate we will come up with something that will be for the long-term benefit of everybody in the town, across the piece.”
Stockroom is expected to be completed by Autumn 2023. The £14.5m Future High Streets Fund grant must be spent by March 2024.
Stockport council cabinet met at Fred Perry House on Tuesday night (February 1).
Council leader's statement
Coun Wilson also released an official statement on Wednesday.
It reads: “This is a game changing opportunity to spend £14.5m of government money improving our town centre with new public facilities, breathing new life into vacant retail which will attract thousands of much needed visitors back to Stockport town centre.
"I am pleased that we can now move forward and deliver this fantastic community hub which will benefit local people for generations to come.
“We recognise the affection for Central Library that many have expressed.
"As well as having clearly pledged to safeguard the future of this historic building, the newly established cross-party working group will ensure its long-term future is protected.
"We already have a track record of restoring and preserving historic buildings, with more than a £7m investment in the Underbanks and over £500,000 in the Town Hall.
“After consulting widely with a number of different groups such as the VCSE sector and disability groups, it is evident that there is a real need for a modern, fully accessible space in a central location.
"As a council we are passionate about inclusivity and the facilities on offer in Stockroom will cater for everyone. That to me, shows real progress and I am excited about the possibilities that this will bring for many people.
We want to create a truly inclusive environment that can be used safely, easily and with dignity by all residents.
“This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to improve our town centre with new public facilities to support our growing population and we need to grasp it with both hands and now get on with bringing these ambitious plans to life.”
