Almondbury Library
A particularly important local issue at the moment is the Almondbury Library. Almondbury library is a beautifully designed building and one of the oldest libraries in the country, founded by an American foundation, the Carnegie Trust, which established a lot of free libraries in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. There is a move by the council, unfortunately supported by the three Liberal Democratic councillors, to close it and instead integrate library facilities into a new Sure Start programme. This will be located at the other end of the village behind the chemist shop on a spare piece of land which used to be an allotment.
I’ve looked at this situation very carefully. Having met with the leaders of those protesting about the proposed closure and I’ve been very impressed by the case that they make and I think they are absolutely right. This would be the closure of an historic library that is very much loved and much used by local people. I passionately believe in Sure Starts and there is nothing wrong in putting a new Sure Start in the centre of Almondbury village but I visit Sure Starts all the time; they don’t have to combine a library. They might have a book lending resource for children but that’s different from having a proper library.
Almondbury residents want the library they love and use and to preserve a very important part of the oldest and most historic part of Huddersfield. It would be I think an act of vandalism to close it and sell it off for flats or apartments. I think we should keep this very good library and even expand it and develop it, building on a children’s section at the back for example. I also want the Sure Start to go ahead as a separate project.
