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| Glossop battles over fate of town's historic gothic hall and new library | Glossop battles over fate of town's historic gothic hall and new library |
| (about 1 month later) | |
| It is probably the only town in Britain campaigning against a new library. But many in Glossop, nestled on the western edge of the Peak District, are very attached to their old one, Victoria Hall, a grand gothic revival hall purpose-built in 1888 on land donated by Francis Edward Howard, 2nd Lord Howard of Glossop. | It is probably the only town in Britain campaigning against a new library. But many in Glossop, nestled on the western edge of the Peak District, are very attached to their old one, Victoria Hall, a grand gothic revival hall purpose-built in 1888 on land donated by Francis Edward Howard, 2nd Lord Howard of Glossop. |
| The hall, which is in need of major renovation after years of neglect, including to its unused upper floor with its retro-sprung dancefloor, is now at the centre of a complex and entrenched battle over a £4m pot of public money waiting to be spent. | The hall, which is in need of major renovation after years of neglect, including to its unused upper floor with its retro-sprung dancefloor, is now at the centre of a complex and entrenched battle over a £4m pot of public money waiting to be spent. |
| High Peak borough council is trustee of Victoria Hall but leases the ground floor for free to Derbyshire county council, the library service authority. | High Peak borough council is trustee of Victoria Hall but leases the ground floor for free to Derbyshire county council, the library service authority. |
| The county council, which has no obligation to pay for the upkeep of Victoria Hall, wants to build a £2m library 100 metres away on the site of an old primary school, St Luke's – one "fit for the 21st century", with a children's library and landscaped outdoor space. | The county council, which has no obligation to pay for the upkeep of Victoria Hall, wants to build a £2m library 100 metres away on the site of an old primary school, St Luke's – one "fit for the 21st century", with a children's library and landscaped outdoor space. |
| The borough council has £2m to upgrade four civic buildings it owns, including Victoria Hall, but cannot spend a penny until the future of the library is settled. | The borough council has £2m to upgrade four civic buildings it owns, including Victoria Hall, but cannot spend a penny until the future of the library is settled. |
| Complicating matters is a yellowing legal covenant dated 18 October 1887. In tiny script, it stipulates that Howard's gift of land to the people of his parish must be used "for the purpose of the erection of a public free library and public hall thereon". | Complicating matters is a yellowing legal covenant dated 18 October 1887. In tiny script, it stipulates that Howard's gift of land to the people of his parish must be used "for the purpose of the erection of a public free library and public hall thereon". |
| The Victoria Hall, Town Hall, Market Arcade and Municipal Buildings hark back to the town's prosperity from wool processing, when the owners of land and mills, enriched from the industrial revolution, fell over themselves to enshrine their benign patronage in the local sandstone. But neither prosperity nor civic philanthropy are indefinite. | The Victoria Hall, Town Hall, Market Arcade and Municipal Buildings hark back to the town's prosperity from wool processing, when the owners of land and mills, enriched from the industrial revolution, fell over themselves to enshrine their benign patronage in the local sandstone. But neither prosperity nor civic philanthropy are indefinite. |
| The borough council is well aware of the problems posed by Glossop's wealth of listed buildings. "These aren't assets – they're liabilities," says Labour councillor Godfrey Claff, the council's member for regeneration. "These buildings may look fine from the outside, but they have been a problem for 15 years. Heads have been stuck in the sand. But they're now too big a problem to ignore." | The borough council is well aware of the problems posed by Glossop's wealth of listed buildings. "These aren't assets – they're liabilities," says Labour councillor Godfrey Claff, the council's member for regeneration. "These buildings may look fine from the outside, but they have been a problem for 15 years. Heads have been stuck in the sand. But they're now too big a problem to ignore." |
| The Labour-controlled borough has offered to transfer ownership of Victoria Hall to the county council, run by the Conservatives, so that it can spend its £2m on upgrading the existing library and returning the hall to its former glory. But the county council is reluctant to take on what it sees as a liability, and says the covenant would leave it unable to use other floors for its own needs. | The Labour-controlled borough has offered to transfer ownership of Victoria Hall to the county council, run by the Conservatives, so that it can spend its £2m on upgrading the existing library and returning the hall to its former glory. But the county council is reluctant to take on what it sees as a liability, and says the covenant would leave it unable to use other floors for its own needs. |
| A campaign group – Glossop Soul (Save Our Unique Library) – says 97% of 1,000 Glossop residents surveyed were opposed to the county's plans, which it calls a waste of money. The group questions the county's estimation that revamping Victoria Hall could run to millions of pounds and worries that the hall, due to its restrictive covenant, would lie empty and fall into disrepair if the library is moved. It says it is prepared to take the county's planning application to a judicial review. | A campaign group – Glossop Soul (Save Our Unique Library) – says 97% of 1,000 Glossop residents surveyed were opposed to the county's plans, which it calls a waste of money. The group questions the county's estimation that revamping Victoria Hall could run to millions of pounds and worries that the hall, due to its restrictive covenant, would lie empty and fall into disrepair if the library is moved. It says it is prepared to take the county's planning application to a judicial review. |
| Ian Bennett, who chairs Glossop Soul, says there has been a history of bad communication between the councils. | Ian Bennett, who chairs Glossop Soul, says there has been a history of bad communication between the councils. |
| Jonathan Haggart, a tax manager, is one of the few people in the town prepared to speak for the county's plan: "Other towns are having libraries closed down, and we're being offered a new one – it would be madness to turn it down." | Jonathan Haggart, a tax manager, is one of the few people in the town prepared to speak for the county's plan: "Other towns are having libraries closed down, and we're being offered a new one – it would be madness to turn it down." |
| Haggart, who lives a mile away from Victoria Hall, says his two teenage daughters use the library about once a month, though he goes less frequently as the selection of adult books is disappointing. | Haggart, who lives a mile away from Victoria Hall, says his two teenage daughters use the library about once a month, though he goes less frequently as the selection of adult books is disappointing. |
| "No one wants to lose Victoria Hall, but I think it's not fulfilling its potential because of the library being there. With a bit of imagination it could be a great arts space. | "No one wants to lose Victoria Hall, but I think it's not fulfilling its potential because of the library being there. With a bit of imagination it could be a great arts space. |
| "Buxton has a thriving arts scene, even though it has a smaller population than Glossop. | "Buxton has a thriving arts scene, even though it has a smaller population than Glossop. |
| "Labour's objection seems to be because the Tories thought of it first. And it pains me to side with the Tories on this one, but a new library means more space, more books, and we might see more people using it." | "Labour's objection seems to be because the Tories thought of it first. And it pains me to side with the Tories on this one, but a new library means more space, more books, and we might see more people using it." |
| The leader of the county council, Andrew Lewer, denied it was pressing ahead with the new library plan without proper consultation. "I find it deeply disappointing that party politics ahead of a tense county council election has led to efforts to portray the building of a new library in Glossop as somehow bad news," he said. | The leader of the county council, Andrew Lewer, denied it was pressing ahead with the new library plan without proper consultation. "I find it deeply disappointing that party politics ahead of a tense county council election has led to efforts to portray the building of a new library in Glossop as somehow bad news," he said. |
| "Elsewhere in the country libraries are closing and here we are making this exciting and forward-looking investment. | "Elsewhere in the country libraries are closing and here we are making this exciting and forward-looking investment. |
| "The history of efforts to find a new library in Glossop is long and complex and does involve different priorities for the two councils. | "The history of efforts to find a new library in Glossop is long and complex and does involve different priorities for the two councils. |
| "The county council wants to provide the best possible library, the borough council would like to unload one of the large number of expensive 19th-century buildings it owns that are underused and costly. | "The county council wants to provide the best possible library, the borough council would like to unload one of the large number of expensive 19th-century buildings it owns that are underused and costly. |
| "Saving Victoria Hall and saving – or rather improving – Glossop library are both worthwhile but it does not follow that they are one and the same thing." | "Saving Victoria Hall and saving – or rather improving – Glossop library are both worthwhile but it does not follow that they are one and the same thing." |
| The Charities Commission confirmed that the document governing Victoria Hall requires it to be used "as a library and public hall for the benefit of the public". | The Charities Commission confirmed that the document governing Victoria Hall requires it to be used "as a library and public hall for the benefit of the public". |
| But there is a chink of light for those worried about the fate of the hall should the new library plan get the green light: it is possible to alter the covenant – so long as the property was used "for sufficient charitable uses, for the majority of the time". | But there is a chink of light for those worried about the fate of the hall should the new library plan get the green light: it is possible to alter the covenant – so long as the property was used "for sufficient charitable uses, for the majority of the time". |
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