SO Bromsgrove District and Worcestershire County Council are prepared to jointly spend £7 million on a brand-new library and the refurbishment of the former Parkside Middle School into a civic centre containing council services.

This is an Edwardian building designed in 1909, built in 1912, then abandoned in 2008, since when it has been extensively vandalised. But before it was grantedgradetwo-listed status, through the intervention of the Bromsgrove Society, the district council wanted it demolished.

I visitedBromsgrovelibraryon November 4 to see the Parkside plans on display that day and attended the council planning meeting that evening to learn more and see it voted on – 22 pages of details in the agenda.

But I did not expect to see Conservative, as well as Labour councillors speak against the scheme – even though it was eventually voted through.

So it will be well worth attending the full council meeting today (Wednesday) when all councillors willhavethe opportunity to express their views.

Beyond the hype of regenerating the town centre, the reality is that a replacement library will be no more convenient or provide much more than the present one.

While the now protected status of the Parkside building, which makes it a liability requiring use to be made of the building to halt its continued deterioration, also gives the council an ideal excuse to sell off the present valuable site occupied by the present council house, but the claims of the far greater convenience of Parkside are being vastly exaggerated.

These re-sited facilities would be separated from the town’s shopping area by two busy main roads, such that they are effectively no more convenient than getting to the present buildings, which are well within easy walking distance of the townandhaveadjacent free car parking – Parkside and the new library has no public parking spaces apart from just five for disabled drivers, It was also made clear at this meeting by council staff that the costs involved in modifying the adjacent road system are dependent on a contribution from Sainsbury’s, which is not yet guaranteed. This work is a mandatory requirement without which the development can not be authorised.

It also appears that restoration within the old building will be both problematic and expensive, according to the report, including not being easy to concealnewcablingtominimize its visual impact which appears a key concern to those responsible for the refurbishment and even the bats’ roosting habitats have to be accommodated, even though they have already damaged part of the roof.

Councillors promote the development claim that the 1960sbuilt CouncilHouseandlibrary buildings have very poor energy conservation.

But I was informed that Parkside’s single glazed windows will not be modified and the specification states that many of the old inefficient radiators will remain.

The county council already needs to find savings of almost £600 million, which will result in job losses, cuts in bus services, fare increases and large council tax rises are on the horizon.

Will spending huge sums of money on Parkside benefit Bromsgrove and will the resurfacing of the town shopping area attract crowds, pulling shops and visitors back which are all part of the council’stown centre regeneration strategy?

Think back to 2010 when they unceremoniously demolished Bromsgrove’s market hall claiming itwasa major step forward in the town’s regeneration programme. This was a building they constructed 15 years earlier at a cost of half a million pounds and there are still no signs of development on this site. Just hype and artists impressions.

All going to plan is it?

Malcolm Guest, the Flats, Bromsgrove