Reply from Cllr Hashani: Thank you for your email regarding the temporary closure of Acton Library. In your message, you raised a number of points, which I will address in turn. I am aware that the library reopened in 2014 after relocating from the old Acton Library site. Since 2023, following the COVID-19 pandemic, the library has also been hosting Customer Access Services. Through these access points, local residents can conveniently manage council-related enquiries, such as those regarding council tax, parking, and garden waste. As you may have noticed, customer service officers currently use the library’s public computers in an open area rather than a dedicated space. This arrangement can occasionally be disruptive for both library users and residents accessing council services. We successfully bid for UK Shared Prosperity Funding from central government which has presented an excellent opportunity to enhance this space and establish a community hub. We aim to improve the library environment, making it a versatile, multi-use space for community activities. Additionally, as the library has not been renovated since its reopening over a decade ago, the carpets and furniture are showing signs of wear and require replacement. This upgrade will help create a more welcoming and functional space for all users. I would like to clarify that the renovation work will be focused solely on the library itself and will not include the community rooms on the first and second floors. Regarding the performance room in the earlier design, I can only assume that during the consultation with local residents, there was no identified need for a performance space in the new building. All library activities and performances will continue to take place during regular library hours, as they currently do. However, light music and culturally related performances may be scheduled outside of library hours. Our intention is to align the library’s opening hours with those of the leisure centre. As such, no performances will take place after 10pm. I would like to clarify that I am not aware of any intention to close community centres in Acton in order to accommodate these upgrades. As previously mentioned, the funds allocated from central government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund will support these enhancements. With regards to community approach, in May 2024, the project lead for Acton launched a comprehensive community engagement initiative, combining both online and in-person consultations with staff to refine proposals and ensure their practicality. To foster community involvement, a pop-up event was hosted at Acton Library, providing local residents with an opportunity to share feedback and comments on the design concepts with the project lead and architect. The pop-up event was well attended as part of the ‘Your Voice Your Town’ initiative. In addition, consultation boards featuring the Acton Community Hub proposal were displayed at the library for two weeks, from late May to early June, with contact details prominently featured to encourage further feedback. We received overwhelmingly positive responses, with many expressing excitement about the new design. Public consultation efforts were enhanced by the communications team, which helped to raise awareness and boost participation. To build local support and spark early interest, nearby businesses were involved. I trust this clarifies our position. Best wishes Blerina

Entire Thread

Topic	Date Posted	Posted By
Acton library	17/10/24 09:43:00	Chris Hurley
Re:Acton library	17/10/24 09:45:00	Chris Hurley
Re:Re:Acton library	17/10/24 11:42:00	Alan Fairchild
Re:Acton library	17/10/24 17:03:00	Susan Kelly
Re:Re:Acton library	17/10/24 17:05:00	Susan Kelly
Re:Re:Re:Acton library	31/10/24 09:58:00	Alan Fairchild
Re:Re:Re:Re:Acton library	01/11/24 16:59:00	Libby Kemp
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Acton library	05/11/24 11:30:00	Vlod Barchuk
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Acton library	05/11/24 21:53:00	Libby Kemp
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Acton library	06/11/24 09:07:00	Vlod Barchuk
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Acton library	11/12/24 11:23:00	Alan Fairchild

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