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Very exciting.

Something I started in 2005. Hugely delayed by the financial crash. Then construction cost inflation. Finally arriving. Hope everyone likes it. Twice floor space f current one. The new Grove Vale library lease is 125 years long on ?100 pa versus old lease of ?44,000 pa. So huge running cost savings allowing extra opening hours - always my vision

I can't imagine the amount of crap you had to fight, nor the hours of waffle and attempts at derailing this from finally happening, but, as with all the rest of the fine work Goose Green and the surrounding areas has benefited from, a huge thank you James and I hope you stand for councillor again. I still can't believe the results of the last local election.

Abe_froeman Wrote:

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> Let's just hope Labour don;t turn it into a gym in

> a few years time!


Let's hope Labour get back into government before the Tories can continue with austerity, having already shut down nearly 500 (over 10%) of public libraries. There's only one party that's a threat to libraries, and unfortunately they're in power (just).


Outwith party politics, thank you very much James for your part in bringing the community such a fabulous new asset; living very close by we're thrilled to have it - and the fact that one can now pick up a decent bottle in the same building to accompany one's reading is icing on the cake!

Passiflora Wrote:

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> Just wondering what was wrong with the original

> Grove Vale library?



Without being flippant, have you been in? Aside from the size they don't have accessible toilets and the whole building was shabby and tired. Accessibility was a real problem too as the adult part is really cramped. The new library will have much more 'facilities', though I'm still on the fence about a caf? in the library.

bels123 Wrote:

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> Passiflora Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > Just wondering what was wrong with the original

> > Grove Vale library?

>

> High rent costs. No public toilet.


Outside staff toilets!

Just wondering why a caf? would be needed in a library? Toilets were not an option years ago in Dulwich Library and certainly not in Grove Vale Library but you just coped even though Labour closed down lots of public toilets. Seems like everybody needs to have their cup of coffee on the go these days.
The cafes in John Harvard and Canada Water libraries are very successful but their positioning within the area is much better in both cases. In the case of the small one in the new Grove Vale library, it will be tucked away from most foot traffic and I can?t see it being so successful but I guess time will tell.

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