Swindon Elections - Is Dale's Dream Dead?

Remember it being said that councillors who get hold of their own library end up moaning about litter in the rain?

For Dale Heenan, it appears to have just started lashing down.

Covingham Parish Council are no longer willing to part-fund Covingham Library run by Dale's trust. From reading the Parish meeting minutes from January, it seems the Parish was under the impression their funding was to allow the Trust to get on it's feet and eventually be self-funding (or maybe through monies from elsewhere). This does not seem to have come to fruition, and a request for funding for the 2019/20 year from the Parish for the library was received. Not only that, the Library Trust requested an increase of a thousand pounds on the amount it received from the Parish in previous years.

With lack of accurate usage figures for Covingham Library, the Parish have not been able to work out if they are getting value for money and therefore have stopped their funding.

As you can imagine, Dale is not happy, as seen in this part of one of his election leaflets from this month.

It seems there was a reaction from the local community to the news, but it was rather muted. According to the March Parish Council minutes, two residents asked questions in person, and four emails on the topic were received (one of them from a Friends of Covingham Library member).

It's quite telling that the Swindon Community Library Trust (set-up to takeover Covingham Library and Liden Library when the Borough Council withdrew their own funding) has a website that has not been updated for nearly a year (the last news story being about a beer festival in June 2018). 

Things seem to have gone full-circle, with the quiet news that the Borough Council has decided to keep it's main 5 libraries as Borough Council entities and to not create a charitable trust to run them. The Borough Council seem to have realised that keeping the main libraries centralised allows them to be easier to run and meet council aims. A startlingly vibrant revelation indeed, but a boringly sensible and right decision none the less.

Where does this leave the libraries run by the Trust? Only Dale can answer that. But he's busy in the town centre, appearing to suggest that if people vote other than Tory at this week's local elections they risk causing Debenhams to close. 

That's quite a desperate and daft suggestion (Maybe Tories in Wroughton and Wichelstowe are using the same tactic, suggesting to their voters that a Lib Dem victory will cause Waitrose to walk away from Middle Wichel?) . But considering he said in the same story that the Oasis ski slope is to be in the town centre (the site at North Star is not in the town centre, it's in North Star), it seems his grasp of geography is like his grasp of library funding, not quite to scale.

Has anyone checked the maths on the Dale idea of selling off the Civic Offices plan to pay for the new museum and art gallery and Wyvern? 

Get out the slide rule and the correcting fluid... make sure it doesn't get washed away in the pouring rain.

Swindon Tories Fantastic Fiction Suppressed Staff Plan Plot Line Shock Reveal

The public meeting on the cuts to Swindon's Libraries saw the 'one library' and '4 library' plans kicked into a cocked-hat by the Swindon Borough Council libraries staff's own proposal.

The dictatorial 'we can only afford one library and you should be happy with that' option that's being offered around by Swindon's Tories like a mouldy sandwich is insulting and, arguably, barely legal when seen in the light of the Act that covers library provision.

The slightly less hard option of keeping four libraries in geographically spread-out areas of town makes much more sense.

However this still did make no mention of the vast elephant in the room, no library in east Swindon. The catchment area that Park Library serves is one of the most deprived in Swindon.

Went unchallenged, the one library and four library plan would have left Parks with no library in the area of town that needs it far more than anywhere else. This would have been a national disgrace.

However details of a Swindon Libraries staff proposal came out at the public meeting last night, that includes a library in Park North, and better hours than proposed in the one library and four libraries options.

At last, a glimmer of hope and sense. It's interesting that this proposal to include Park Library and better hours at the other remaining 4 (plus other bits, including a pause in imposing covering the cost of the business rates for the remaining libraries fully onto Swindon Libraries) has come from the library staff themselves.

You'd think that defending the interests of the elderly, the vulnerable, the poor, the jobless, the disabled, indeed the People of Swindon, would be carried out by the councillors of Swindon.

Instead it's being done by brow-beated Swindon Libraries staff, as Swindon's Tory councillors seem to have got their nose stuck in their fantasy novel where private companies run everything, pay for everything and all the poor people have vanished.

There has been no comment from SBC on the staff proposal, or indeed on the claims they have been sat on the staff proposal and not making it public whilst a public consultation is underway.

What a cliffhanger. 

Swindon Tories Fantastic Fiction 2 - Highworth Library Saved Before Public Survey & Report Written

Swindon's Tories have never let democracy or due council process get in the way of their agenda and it seems the future of Swindon's Libraries is no different.

You'll remember back in May, just before the local elections, a leaflet was circulated in Highworth making all sorts of promises about the retention of Highworth's library. Including that it would stay in the same place and retain paid staff.

Just after those elections (in which the Tories retained control of Swindon Borough Council, including the Blunsdon & Highworth seat), it was repeated by Councillor Maureen Penny (Conservative, Blunsdon & Highworth) that the promises made in the leaflet were absolutely correct and will be seen through. She went one better and said that she had gotten a verbal assurance from Councillor David Renard (Conservative, Haydon Wick & Leader of the Swindon Borough Council) and Councillor Garry Perkins (Conservative, Haydon Wick & Cabinet Member for the Economy, Regeneration, and Skills) that the points made in the leaflet would be seen through and that Councillor Renard had seen the leaflet and stands by it.

But, it wasn't until two months later that the report was published which includes the proposal to retain Highworth Library.

So why and how was Councillor Penny able to get assurances about Highworth Library two full months before the report into the future of the libraries was finished and before the public survey on Swindon Libraries (which was part of the report) had even closed (on the 29th April)?

Councillor Penny's election leaflet has 'April' above the list of library promises alongside a convenient photo of Councillor Penny and Councillor Renard as you can see below :

So why was the council report and public survey prejudged?

I'm sure it's nothing to do with it being a true blue tory seat with lots of white, well-off, retired, middle-class tory voters.

I'm sure if a Labour councillor from Parks had demanded that Park Library was promised to stay open, they would have got the same result.

Sorry, that bit's fantastic fiction.

My Mummy Closed My Library

North Swindon MP Justin Tomlinson has made no secret of his pride at being a local councillor when Swindon's Central Library opened. He also proudly tells us that his first debate in parliament was on the topic of libraries. He also proudly tells us that he and his wife are regular users of North Swindon Library and Moredon & Rodbourne Cheney Library.

He may be in the embarrassing position in the near future of seeing his mother, Councillor Vera Tomlinson, vote through massive cuts in the libraries budget.

'My mummy closed my library', maybe he can put that on his election leaflets in 2020.

Swindon Tories Get Hooked On Their Own Fantastic Fiction On Swindon Libraries

Swindon's Conservatives may be about to hack at the core of Swindon Libraries, but they're not going to let that get in the way of capitalising on Libraries to win votes at tomorrow's local election.

However, some Tories seem to be having great trouble following their own plot.

Firstly, take a look at a section of two leaflets sent out by Barbara Parry, who's standing for the Conservatives in Covingham & Dorcan. The first leaflet was received about 2 weeks ago, the one below that, just this week :

Reading the first leaflet, you'd be forgiven for thinking if you live in Nythe you were about to get your own new library. Candidate Parry has confused that with a table-top SBC exercise to look into Liden (along with 5 other areas, it's in section 3.45 and 3.46 here) at the range of community facilities they each have (including libraries).

An SBC asset stock-take and a new library are not the same thing, as are these two election leaflets.

Meanwhile in Lydiard & Freshbrook , Councillor Tim Swinyard has gone one better on this election leaflet :

He proclaims that the Link Centre library is safe and even says we'll end up with a "greater variety of locations and provision".

Seems foolish to prejudge the public survey which has just closed, but maybe he knows what's good for us and we don't.

It doesn't stop there!

Over in Wroughton, this section of an election leaflet has also been shoved through doors by Swindon Conservatives :

The leaflet claims only the Adver has said libraries would close or move. But even though this has been admitted in SBC documents if others don't take them over or the funding goes. 

Yet another nonsensical twist.

And finally over in Highworth, they've promised the earth to voters, with 'Facts' and 'Not' and 'Will' (in capitals and underlined and bold and everything) :

Their first 'fact' is incorrect, there is a saving of £300,000 for this budget year sat against the Libraries budget, of which Highworth is funded from. 

Their second and third 'facts' is quite a thing to promise, not to move or close it if SBC push through with the current plan to 2020, look for your parish tax going through the roof to pay for it!

It reads like a reactionary leaflet from an angry resident, but is actually an election leaflet for the same party that have proposed the cuts in the first place.

In short, from Covingham & Dorcan, to Lydiard & Freshbrook, via Wroughton and Highworth, it's clear that Swindon Conservatives haven't got a bloody clue what they're going to do with Swindon Libraries and have twisted themselves in such knots with this plot, they'll be hoping to do a Dallas and wake up to find it's all a dream.

Because at the moment, it looks like a nightmare to the residents and voters of Swindon.

Walcot's Fantastic Fiction Section

Councillor Ex-Councillor Mallinson has once again flown the flag for 'his' hardworking volunteers at the Walcot Library after I.T. problems recently.

Once again councillor ex-councillor Mr Mallinson has said how amazing 'his' volunteers are, while twisting the knife into the libraries and blaming them for the I.T. problems. As anyone who has gone near Swindon Borough Council in the last 9 years will know (such as councillors ex-councillors), SBC signed a massive contract with Capita back in 2007 (signed by SBC while councillor ex-councillor Mallinson was a councillor), which included I.T. provision and support. The fact the I.T. has just come back in-house will give you an idea why 'Crapita' was a frequent word uttered around SBC regarding the quality of service, especially around I.T. 

Councillor Ex-councillor Mallinson also blames the libraries for lack of support for 'his' volunteers (despite the brand-new building that the library and charity shop 'he' runs now exists in as part of the Sussex Square rebuilding). A new building is certainly anything but a lack of support. He also makes no mention of the SBC library staffed hours that Walcot is provided with during some of it's opening hours. 

The views of Councillor ex-councillor Mallinson regarding 'his' volunteers taking over fully at Walcot, which he clearly wants in the future as he sees the library service as an inconvenience in the current discussion, is interesting when seen in relation to Old Town Library. The campaigners for Old Town Library have made it very clear they want to retain their library with paid staff in it, despite Councillor ex-councillor Mallinson extolling the virtues of volunteers back in 2010.

Even more interesting, is that Old Town Library costs the least per hour of operation compared to any other Swindon library (as can be seen for each library here, appendix 1 to be specific).

So a combination of staff and volunteers at Walcot library (open 19 hours a week), costs more per hour open, than Old Town library (open 36 hours a week) which is fully staffed all the time.

And back in 2010, Councillor ex-councillor Mallinson didn't seem too bothered about cutting his own library's opening hours when he didn't have enough volunteers to man it. 

Be interesting what the few regulars at Walcot made of finding that it was shut because no-one turned up to open it.

Rest assured that if our town's libraries do end up being fully volunteer run (which Swindoncentric finds not only insulting to the idea of building the town's knowledge, intellect and confidence, but also a scary dismantling of civic infrastructure), then at least those volunteers will be at the same level of skill as Swindon's councillors (and ex-councillors)... untrained and unskilled.

The dismantling of Swindon 2 : Now they've come for our libraries

First it was leisure centres, then it was Lydiard, now it's the libraries.

The dismantling of Swindon's civic infrastructure has taken a frightening twist.

Swindon Borough Council wants to cut the budget for Swindon Libraries by 65% by 2020, and wants to save £300,000 in the next year. Eventually, it wants 14 of the 15 libraries to be run by volunteers, with the Central Library being the only SBC-funded library in the entire borough by 2020 (no doubt with less services in it than currently).

That's it. No other option, it would seem, is being entertained by SBC. 

Last year, Swindon Libraries loaned 1,013,108 books. That's 5 for every person in the borough.

Last year, Swindon Libraries had 1,049,172 people visit.

Out of 16 comparator authorities, Swindon Libraries came third for engaging with the public, placing Swindon 3rd for the number of active borrowers per 1,000 population.

Despite being a smaller library service, in the South West, Swindon Libraries is ranked 2nd for number of visits and 1st for the number of books issued.

Swindon Borough Councillors will talk endlessly about making the town better, about vague visions, aspirations and a town we can be proud of with a new museum and art gallery, a university, waves of private sector investment and a town centre that's nice to look at and be in.

Well here's a bit of our town that functions well, actually, better than well, excellently well when compared with library services in many other places and costs us each 3 pence a day. Yes, changes are needed, but cutting out a town's access to a high quality service that serves children, young families, students, the jobless, the socially isolated, the economically isolated, the geographically isolated, the uneducated, the education-hungry, the elderly, ethnic minorities, the poor, those with learning difficulties, those with dementia, the homeless, the new arrivals, visitors, those with low confidence but high hopes, the weak, the ill, the ambitious, the studious, the driven, the curious - the people of Swindon, is a cruel and cowardly act.

Who amongst our councillors will stand and fight against this and for all these people above? 

Do they have the guts? 

Because they certainly have the votes, because we elected them.

Our town's motto is 'Salubritas et Industria' translated as 'health and industry', a healthy town is an educated one, the Victorians knew that, but it appears Swindon Borough Council either doesn't understand it, or doesn't care. 

Maybe they need to visit a library for some help.