Twyford

After many years of campaigning, we may be within sight of success in our efforts to secure a new library in Twyford village centre. Readers will no doubt be aware that a petition, bearing more than 800 signatures, was submitted to Wokingham Borough Council in the spring, asking the council to honour its long-standing commitment to provide a new library in Twyford.

Since then, I have had numerous meetings with the council’s chief executive, and other senior officers at the council, to try to progress the matter. Representatives from the Parish Council and the Twyford Village Partnership (formerly the Twyford Village Centre Management Initiative) have also met with the chief executive to express their support for a new library.

A report has now been drawn up by the council’s deputy chief executive, laying out the options. I am very pleased to be able to say that senior council officers recognize the benefits to the community that would follow from locating a new library in the former J. W. Greens bar. The ground floor is unfortunately the subject of a bid from another restaurant; but the upper storey is still available, and the council officers have worked out the cost of acquiring this part of the building, constructing a new front entrance, and putting in a lift to make access easier.

The deputy chief executive’s report will be presented to the council’s decision-making executive during the autumn as part of the council’s draft capital programme. At that point, a decision will be made whether to provide Twyford with a new library on the J. W. Greens site. In order to make a favourable outcome more likely, I have been talking with individual members of the executive, explaining to them why Twyford needs a new library, and why the J. W. Greens site would be ideal – not least because it would help to underpin the existing shops and businesses by increasing activity in the village centre.

While success is far from guaranteed, and there have already been a few moments when progress seemed to come to a juddering halt, I remain optimistic that we are near to the result wanted by so many people in Twyford. The situation is certainly more promising than it was two years ago, when the previous leader of the council refused even to meet me to discuss the need for a new library.

I should like to take this opportunity to thank all those who have been involved in the campaign for a new library, including all those residents and business people who signed the petition submitted in the spring, and earlier petitions sent to the council over the years. Without your commitment, we would not be in as good a position as we are now.

Stephen Conway

Borough Councillor for Twyford