Steps forward with re-opening of Pevensey Bay Library. A key step forward has been made public today, as East Sussex County Council has fulfilled the promise to see that a survey is undertaken with regard to the status of the building that has caused so much controversy in the community.—Bay Life, 1 April 2016
Pevensey Bay Library has been closed now since January 2015 as the result of flooding, with little information provided about the nature of the problem through last year.
Statements made by East Sussex County Council through the year led local people to question whether the library would ever open again.
In spite of pledges made by East Sussex County Council, local people began to gather together to see what could be done to draw attention to the issue.
Through the autumn of 2015 and into the new year, the powerful local lobbying group ‘The Friends of Pevensey Bay Library’ began to amass significant support locally with well organised literature about the issue made available to all local people in shops and cafes across Pevensey Bay.
In addition, there were public meetings and a well organised demonstration (Saturday 20 February 2016) that saw 40+ people gathered outside the library. The demonstration resulted in considerable attention with regard to the issue.
As well as BBC Radio interviews, coverage include the local press, as well as some of the regional press.
During this time an attempt was made by the campaigning group to see that the local public house, the Beach Tavern, was nominated as a community asset, with a view to gathering support to buy the public house on some basis by the community.
Whist the attempt failed, nonetheless, the attention drawn to the value of community assets in the village was noted and has formed part of the campaign about the vital nature of community assets like local libraries.
The news today was provided to Bay Life, by clerk to Pevensey Parish Council, Malcolm Lawson. He says “ESCC have advised that they have received the report from the surveyors.
“They will now work through the information provided and discuss the options available.
“They will be back in touch in two weeks’ time”
Particularly welcome is the part of the statement that indicates East Sussex County Council will be back in touch with Pevensey Parish Council in two weeks time.
This is an indication of some description that an element of clarity will now emerge about the exact nature of the situation with regard to the flooding issue and what can be done about the situation..
Whilst the Friends of Pevensey Bay Library is yet to comment on the news this morning, there is every reason to believe that progress is finally being made with regard to the critical issue of when Pevensey Bay Library will be in a position to re-open.
The value of the library to the local community has clearly been recognised by East Sussex County Council.
What was something of a surprise was to see the pictures of the demonstration held in Pevensey Bay on Saturday 20 February, which joined children, mums, dads, young and old people, together with disabled people in a demonstration of not just of their affection for the library but their commitment to see that the service is restored.
There would appear to be commitment, momentum and movement with the issue. This seems to have happened because people care so much about the library. The campaigning activity by the Friends of Pevensey Bay Library has been instrumental in seeing that the issue has remained as a focus for campaigning in the village.
Early in the campaign to see the library restored, the Friends of Pevensey Bay Library called for ‘joined up thinking’ by local authorities.
PERHAPS THE ability to respond quickly and flexibly to local issues when they arise, is the true test of any council genuinely wanting to work in partnership with local communities—Friends of Pevensey Bay Library, 13 December 2015
Local authorities are in receipt of criticism daily for what they have done, propose to do or not do. Criticism is easy.
In the Age of Austerity, critical decisions have to be made about what local services are to cut and how to see that local communities continue to enjoy the support they require.
Without question the library in Pevensey Bay is a vital service that is required by the local community, utilised, loved and seen as a vital social hub.
The support to restore the library is not just part of the requirement to see that Pevensey and Pevensey Bay can continue as a rural locations with so much to offer residents and visitors, it is also part of our vital push to see that services, economic and social activity and wellbeing, continues to be regenerated.
News about the completion of the survey by East Sussex County Council, on time and in the way they said that would take place, is a credit to the local authority.
The work with Pevensey Parish Council and the usage by the Parish Council of their social media channel to communicate the news to the community this morning is also a credit.
With the kind of ‘joined up thinking’ expressed as necessary by the Friends of Pevensey Bay Library, beginning to happen, with the involvement of the local authorities concerned, there is now a realistic hope that we will see the library returned to the community.
One of the posters at the demonstration made the point. A child is holding a poster obviously written by her mother. In her own handwriting, the child has added her moniker.
The poster says, “I care about my library so much, I made this poster”. The child has added in her own modern textspeak, the words “plz may you”.
A sense of education, courtesy and civic values starts early . One of the places where these values are incubated is in local libraries. These values stay with people through their lives and are passed on to their children.
Give me the child until she is seven and I will give you the library goer.
The value of libraries to local children is one of many reasons why we need to see the service restored.
The news that the survey has now been completed by East Sussex County Council and that we will know more about the proposed future of the library in two weeks time is to be welcomed.
Simon Montgomery
editor, Bay Life
IMAGE CREDIT: Friends of Pevensey Bay Library
