Shepton Mallet Library

 For your information, here is the text of a letter that I have written to Somerset County Council Library Service setting out the reasons as I see them why the Library should be preserved.

(Picture of John Parham and Jeanette Marsh discussing Shepton Mallet Library with Ken Maddock leader of Somerset County Council in Shepton Mallet Market Place)

I write as District Councillor for Shepton Mallet West Ward and Chairman of the Shepton Mallet Townscape Heritage Initiative.

The proposed closure of Shepton Mallet Library is in my view going to be extremely detrimental to the viability of Shepton Mallet town centre in both commercial and public service terms.

To provide a little background, in 2003 the administration at Mendip District Council recognised that Shepton Mallet was a special case that needed priority action. A great deal of work was put in to get a 5 year Heritage Regeneration Scheme off the ground that over the period succeeded to attracting approximately £1.3 million of investment into the town centre area. The HERS scheme was replaced by the current Townscape Heritage Initiative in 2008 and despite the recession, we have succeeded in attracting further investment taking the total over the last 8 years to a figure in excess of £2milllion. The current THi will continue until 2013 with a phase three application to be submitted later this year.

This is obviously a huge success story, however, in effect we have merely halted over 30 years of decline to the High Street and Market place area; there are encouraging signs with a number of new businesses operating and more on the way, the raised profile for the town as a result of the “Turn Back Time” TV series has also helped, however the regeneration of Shepton Mallet is a fragile child, and a serious shock at this time could put it back by years or kill it off entirely.

It must also be pointed out that Shepton Mallet East ward, the ward in which the Library is located, has been identified as an area of multiple deprivation and falls within the top 10% of deprived areas nationally.

The library is often the focus of activity in our market place area. It attracts significant numbers of visitors, in the region of 300 per day I believe, and this footfall translates into a significant proportion of the footfall traffic that the town centre businesses rely on. If the library is closed entirely or is moved out of the market place to another location, this footfall will be lost and the knock on effect could well be devastating. The people who use the library are drawn from our deprived community, it is convenient for them and has easy access especially for those who are elderly or disabled.

If the library were to be moved or closed, a significant proportion of the clientele would be unable to access library services due to the unaffordable cost of public transport travel to Wells or Frome and the inaccessibility of a location away from the town centre.

I fully appreciate and by appreciate I mean understand, the budgetary position that you find yourself in, however in my view Shepton Mallet should be treated as a special case because of the factors that I have outlined, and I would urge you to find a solution that does not involve closure of our well used library facility.  There are a number of other town centre properties that are empty, that could accommodate the library, and where the rent would be less than a third of the current lease charge that you are paying.

I would also ask you to explore sharing facilities with the Shepton Mallet Tourist Information Centre, the Post Office parcel collection office, Job Centre plus and the Citizens Advice Bureau, who are all facing reductions in funding and where combining facilities could see an improved service for all at the same time as achieving the budget savings you seek.

I believe that due to the terms of the current lease, Shepton Library will continue to operate until November 2012, I urge you to retain the current funding stream for the next two financial years while negotiations are taking place, my fear is that if funding is withdrawn immediately, there will be no opportunity to instigate a compromise when one is identified.

I am, as always available to act as an intermediary at any time should you require one.

Best regards

Cllr John Parham

Portfolio Holder:- Access to Services

Chairman Shepton Mallet Townscape Heritage Initiative.

Ward Member:- Shepton Mallet West