Wycombe Liberal Democrats » Libraries

Support your local shops and markets – Cllr Trevor Snaith – July 2007

Trevor Snaith — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 08:16:49 +0000

With the development of Eden what is going to happen to our local shops?

We are seeing small businesses being pushed out of business by the weight of the large retailers, Trevor Snaith and Ray Farmer are asking the council to invest in our local communities to support local shops for local people

The Friends of the Earthg have recently produced an advert you may find interesting

Click here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGoWKVA87ro

The competition authorities are currently investigating supermarkets.

In January they published their interim report. In this report, they recognised several potential problems related to supermarket dominance.

The next stage of this inquiry is crucial. Tough action is urgently needed to control the power of the supermarkets.

We have the opportunity to ask the Competition Commission to make the grocery industry fairer for everyone.

We must urge them to investigate the things that really matter:

Stronger planning policies
Needed to protect smaller shops.
Supermarket code of practice
Needed to protect the interests of consumers, farmers, workers and the environment.

After all, who wants cheap food if it’s at the expense of people and the planet?

West Wycombe Community Library Opens this Saturday

morty — Tue, 30 Jan 2007 15:55:39 +0000

The campaign, started by Liberal Democrat Neil Timberlake in November 2005, to save West Wycombe Library has been successful! The library closed by Tory-controlled Bucks County Council late last year, will now re-open as a Community Library on Saturday 3rd February, staffed by volunteers, and funded by community efforts.

Neil Timberlake will be one of the volunteer librarians and will be the on-duty librarian on the opening day.

All are invited to come along at 11am on Saturday for a gala launch.

“The whole community deserves to congratulate itself on this marvellous success”, said Neil Timberlake this week, “and now we need the community to continue to show its support, by using the library regularly, and by continuing to donate books and money.”

Lib Dems slate Tory library closures

Steve Guy — Wed, 05 Oct 2005 09:53:54 +0000

West Wycombe’s Liberal Democrat spokesman, Neil Timberlake, has condemned plans of the Conservative-led County Council to close West Wycombe Library, and others.

The plans, announced in the Bucks Free Press last week, have already attracted criticism from the respected Chairman of West Wycombe Parish Council, now Mr Timberlake, himself a West Wycombe Parish Councillor, has weighed-in.

“The Library service is a vital part of the life of the village of West Wycombe. Not only does it offer books for all ages, but also magazines, videos, DVDs, local public information, and internet access. If the Conservatives locally truly cared for village life and village amenities they would be looking to extend the hours of our local library, not close it down”.

Mr Timberlake pointed out that Wycombe’s first public library had been a gift to the people of the town by a Mr W.O. Griffith, a prominent member of Wycombe Liberal Association, direct forerunners of Wycombe Liberal Democrats. Liberals in the 19th century, as now, believe in the importance of education and access to information for all. That is why the Conservatives in Bucks are cutting library services, whereas Liberal Democrats elsewhere are improving library services by extending opening hours, bringing in new technology and investment.

Example – SomersetCountyCouncil

Somerset’s ‘Answers Now’ initiative provides a 24/7, 362 days a year on-line live enquiry service and works as a three 8 hour shift partnership with Brisbane City Council (Australia) and Richland County Library, South Carolina (U.S.A.). It is thought to be the only initiative of its kind in the world.

Example – Lambeth Borough Council

This year 25% more people have been visiting Lambeth libraries and lending has increased by 12% against a national decline in library use. These figures are due to the new Lib Dem-led administration:

not cutting the book fund in 2002/03, which Labour had done previously;
investing more in libraries in 2003/04 (an increase in the Library budget of £300,000);
increasing the book fund in 2003/04;
increasing opening hours in four libraries since August this year;
completing the refurbishment of two libraries;
implementing the People’s Network Project in the nine Lambeth libraries with 150 computers providing free access to the internet, e-mail, and other IT uses.

Example – EastbourneBorough Council

When the Conservative County Council closed down Old Town Library in Eastbourne the Liberal Democrat Borough Council provided a grant to re-open it.”