Seven Kings library hopes for summer

- 26 January 2010

SEVEN Kings residents may see in the summer with a brand new library on their doorstep.

Cabinet member for leisure Cllr Alan Weinberg told the area five committee meeting last night he hoped a temporary library would be installed in April or May.

Council bosses are currently negotiating with landlords of two different sites in the area and Cllr Weinberg said they are confident they will be successful with one of them.

He added: "We are hopeful that if we can complete the necessary work we should be able to open around April or May this year."

The temporary library will remain in place until the completion of a proposed multi-million pound leisure centre, combined with a library, in future years.

Cllr Weinberg's announcement came as residents and councillors got the chance to grill him and council leader Cllr Keith Prince about the borough's proposed budget.

Cllr Prince told councillors and members of the public it had been a "very tough year."

He said: "We have had a reduction in the funding from government and a slight increase in some other funding, but we're far worse off then we were last year.

"There have had to be quite brutal cuts in some areas."

During the question and answer session, the councillors were forced to defend the salary of the council's chief executive, the decision to stop highways officers attending area committee meetings and the reason why they had increased the allotment levy by "so little.