Muhammed Butt, was asked about the Willesden Green Library at the recent public meeting organised by Brent TUC.
Cllr Butt said that he had met with Keep Willesden Green campaigners and had passed on their concerns to Galliford Try, planners and the Regeneration Team, and their points will be taken into consideration for the new plans being presented in December.. He said that the old Willesen Library was now being retained and this meant internal redesigns. The council were still looking at 92 private units at the back of the site and this was the only way to fund it.
He was challenged with the alternative of a small amount of building and refurbishment and the loss of the cinema, bookshop and car park in the current plans. The questioner said, "It's like saying I need a new boiler so I will knock my house down! I've heard it called asset stripping." Butt responded that a lot of the 'stuff' in the 80s building had come to the end of its natural life and the building was unfinished. The cafe and cinema had closed as a result of not being used. "We need a mini Civic Centre in Willesden so people from this area don't have to travel all the way to Wembley and we need it an no cost to us."
Cllr Butt said that he had met with Keep Willesden Green campaigners and had passed on their concerns to Galliford Try, planners and the Regeneration Team, and their points will be taken into consideration for the new plans being presented in December.. He said that the old Willesen Library was now being retained and this meant internal redesigns. The council were still looking at 92 private units at the back of the site and this was the only way to fund it.
He was challenged with the alternative of a small amount of building and refurbishment and the loss of the cinema, bookshop and car park in the current plans. The questioner said, "It's like saying I need a new boiler so I will knock my house down! I've heard it called asset stripping." Butt responded that a lot of the 'stuff' in the 80s building had come to the end of its natural life and the building was unfinished. The cafe and cinema had closed as a result of not being used. "We need a mini Civic Centre in Willesden so people from this area don't have to travel all the way to Wembley and we need it an no cost to us."
Yes, it would be quite easy to refurbish the existing WGLC building. There is plenty of room for additional council office facilities in the empty Cinema, bookshop and cafe. The partitions could be removed and the internal 'street' be partly subsumed. Structurally it is even possible to build a steel/glass mezzanine over all or part of the building...so why demolish it? ...Because the council want somebody else to pay. Please remember Brent's Strategy is nothing to do with building a better library...it is all about creating blocks of 92 flats which will generate much needed future revenue and government grants for new dwellings.
ReplyDeleteKeep protesting.