“Does Alsager really need a library?” – that’s the question raised by a Reform UK campaigner, who has raised concerns that older people are taking up a large portion of taxpayers’ money.
Andy Large, (52), whose wife, Coun Wendy Whittaker-Large is a member of the town council, questioned whether the cost in staff wages and energy bills meant that it was worth running the public building.
He said: “I think there is a case to be made for children’s books, because they have a quick turnaround and it’s good for their education, but most of the library is housing books for older people.”
While Mr Large was quick to say that his wife did not necessarily share his views, he said the couple often discussed the fact there are three publicly owned buildings in the centre of town – the library, the Civic and the council offices.
He said: “I would call for a strategy to analyse how all three of those spaces are going to be used over the next 10 years.
“Usage of the Civic has been dropping year on year. I’m not sure there is a lot of clear thinking going on about what is being used, and how public money is being invested.
“They should have a very good look at how they might reduce those buildings down to two or one.” Mr Large has previously criticised the council for holding publicly subsidised events at the Civic, which he felt took money out of the pockets of private business owners in the town centre, but said the issue was “more complex” than calling for its closure.
“I’d like to know what the footfall is in the library,” he said. “That is a huge building consuming a huge amount of energy.”
He questioned whether taxpayers would be happy to fund a library of its size in Alsager in 10 to 20 years’ time, considering the proportion of council tax being used to pay for adult social care.
According to the Care Quality Commission, this makes up nearly 30% of Cheshire East’s total budget and consumes around 70p in every £1 of council tax.
Golden
Mr Large said he was part of a “golden generation” who had benefited from rising wages, falling mortality rates and improved living standards.
He said: “At what point do we ask if Alsager really needs a library? What we’re effectively doing is taking council tax money off everybody, young, middle-aged and old, and channelling it into a facility that is mostly used by old people – is that just?”
As we reported in October 2024, Alsager Town Council voted to close the library one full day a week, rather than stump up £21,000 a year to keep it open for three hours every Thursday morning.
The request for cash by Cheshire East was part of an ongoing attempt to save costs by pushing for more services to be taken on by town councils.
Mr Large, who lost out on a town council seat to Coun June Buckley in an East Ward by-election in March last year, said he had not ruled out running for Cheshire East Council and Alsager Town Council at the local elections next May.
He said: “Libraries are a matter for Cheshire East, and it is so badly in debt.
“If I had a say, I would not be voting for the burden of finding extra money to be placed onto the town council.”
(Photos: Google Earth).
