THE well-anticipated responses of a public consultation held for the relocation of Redditch Library have been published and are due to be discussed by councillors tomorrow (June 8).

A public consultation to gather residents’’ views about a possible relocation of Redditch Library was carried out between November 7, 2022, and February 24.

There were a total of 1467 people who responded to the survey representing 2.2 per cent of the Redditch population over 18.

Respondents were asked to what extent they agreed or disagreed with the new location for the library being in the Town Hall and 72.3 per cent of people said they disagree to some extent.

The three most common themes in relation to the town hall location were that it wasn’t as good, there was concern there will be a reduction in facilities, and there was concern there will be a reduction in the size of the library.

However, people who agreed with the relocation said it’s an effective use of the building; they are happy to have the library as part of a hub with services in one place and the new location is only a short distance away.

During the consultation, a commitment was made by Worcestershire County Council to collaborate with local history groups and archive volunteers on the development to put together a plan for archive collections in the library.

A document on Worcestershire County Council’s website notes: “This collaborative work commenced on 30 March 2023 and a draft plan is in progress.

“The council is waiting for RBC to provide indicative layouts of archive shelving and other furniture in allocated library storage areas at the Town Hall, should the library relocate there, to enable a more detailed assessment of the amount of archive material that can be accommodated at the Town Hall if the relocation goes ahead.”

The county council’s corporate and communities overview and scrutiny committee are set to discuss the updated relocation proposals at 10am tomorrow (June 8).

Redditch Borough Council want to relocate the library from its current site into a community hub in Redditch Town Hall to free up space for the redevelopment of the town centre.

The money being used to regenerate the town centre, which was granted by the government’s Towns Funds, must be spent by March 2026.

If the library move is approved, it would take place in autumn 2024.

Redditch Borough Council is already working on the redevelopment of the Town Hall and plans to go ahead with refurbishments and extensions regardless of the county council’s decision to relocate the library in there.

A document prepared for the committee tomorrow notes: “The Town Investment Plan states that government funding for the redevelopment of the library site is conditional on the library relocation.

“Tight timelines have meant that RBC has had to continue with planning activity ahead of the council’s final decision on whether to approve the relocation of the library, in order for the funding deadline of 31 March 2026 to be met.”