Bagshot Liberal Democrats campaign to save Library (Surrey Heath Liberal Democrats

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Bagshot Liberal Democrats campaign to save Library

February 9, 2006 2:09 PM

Councillor Bryan Ward being interviewed outside Bagshot Library.

Councillor Bryan Ward campaigning to save our library!

Councillor Bryan Ward and Councillor Duncan Clark were recently interviewed by Meridian TV outside Bagshot Library, following the launch of Bagshot Liberal Democrats community campaign to save the villages library from closure.

Cllr Duncan Clark being interviewed

This follows the announcement by Conservative Surrey County Council that it is considering a savage cost-cutting scheme to close library services across the county.

In 1999 local Liberal Democrats supported a successful campaign to save the library from a previous Conservative plan to close it. 1300 local residents signed a petition in favour of keeping it open. In 2004, the Earl of Wessex reopened the library after the county council had spent thousands of pounds on refurbishing it and installing new computers with Internet access. This would appear to have been a waste on money if current closure plans go ahead!

Councillor Bryan Ward told Meridian TV "We are opposed to the plans to shut our library - it's as simple as that. This is a much need community resource".

Councillor Duncan Clark continued "Local people don't see much for their council tax from Surrey County Council - apart from our two schools, the library is the last visible sign of a dedicated county council service. Plans to close it are simply wrong".