As most local residents will be aware, Walkden Library moved to the new Gateway building a couple of months ago. I said at the time that the site should be re-used for community facilities – the Youth Service has always been interested in the building – but the Council seemed determined to sell the site for development and the “for sale” signs appeared shortly afterwards.
We are now two months on and the site is still empty. The Council have now boarded the entire building up with wooden hoardings and it looks absolutely horrendous.
It is already a prime site for anti-social behaviour – there have been numerous sightings in the last week or two of youths on the roof or trying to break in – and if action is not taken soon we run the risk of (at best) more anti-social behaviour and (at worst) the building being torched.
The Council must now look at recommissioning this building as quickly as possible. I know that the Youth Service are interested in using it, and that this has widespread support.
The current site is both a considerable eyesore and a potential danger to both the public and to our emergency services who would have to deal with any incident at the library site. A decision must be taken quickly to bring the site back into community use before a serious incident occurs.
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