Wrexham Libraries to be run by South Wales Trust.
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The future running of our libraries will be discussed at the next Executive Board Meeting .
“4.20 The cash limited budget for Library Services in 2014/15 is £1.69million (although this excludes Llay Park Resource Centre). The main budgetary saving to be derived from joining an existing charitable trust is at least an 80% rate relief on national non- domestic rates and this is estimated at £75,000 in the revenue budget savings for 2015/16.”
The above is a quote from the Executive Board Report.
Isn’t there something wrong with a rating system that encourages taking services like libraries away from the public sector into private charitable trusts. The Merthyr Tydfil Leisure Trust were still appointing Trustees in September 2014 so don’t have proven track record. Would not Wrexham be better served by forming their own local charitable trust to run the libraries?
Wrexham Council appear to be passing on their responsibilities to someone else. Before long they will be surplus to requirements as they will have nothing left to do. Maybe then they will finally stop chasing city status
Considering the Council is so anti anything down ‘south’ it is a bit bizarre that they go for a charity that has no track record. Were are all these new charities going to get their money from are we all going to be making donations to buy new books!!
So our wonderful Council in Wrexham that is capable of standing lone and doesn’t need to merge is now looking South for a bail out plan to manage libraries. If they are so strong then why have they not put a proposal together to run a North Wales Library service. I really dispair that the Leader of the Council sings the virtues of being separate that they are big enough to go it alone. What on earth is going to be left for them to go it alone with?
Good point, how are the other North Wales Councils dealing with their libraries ? Has the idea of a North Wales Trust to run our libraries been investigated ? Trusts are being mentioned in conjunction with the Arts Centre, Swimming Pools and now Libraries and Resource Centres, what will happen to these facilities if the Trust fails?
With a no discussion policy from Wrexham towards Flintshire there clearly will not have been any consultations. To look South is crazy, short sighted and a lack of professional respect to those staff in the library service.
Even for this council this one is a particularly crazy scheme. From the documents, they want to hand over the library service to a brand new trust a 100 miles away who have plenty to do and have shown no interest. “The main budgetary saving to be derived from joining an existing charitable trust is at least an 80% rate relief ” and who is getting that rate money at present, but the council? It’s Tory policy to do away with all public services and councillor Hugh Jones seems able to run rings around the rest of them and carry out those policies whilst being in a minority.
Clr Huw Jones today talks about no appetite from the other 5 counties in North Wales , Glyndwr or Coleg Cambria does this not give a message. If so many other potential partners are not interested in the concept why on earth are Wrexham still pursuing this option.
If Gresford can make it as a stand alone — why have the Council not even had a discussion with them to see if they want to run some of the other libraries in the area as well as Gresford
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