Feud continues over future of Castleton Library

Reporter: Jan Harwood
Date online: 25 August 2006

The ongoing debate over the future of the historical Castleton Library building goes on as the "friends of Castleton Library’ group continues to fight for the library services to remain at its traditional home of over one hundred years. The building on Manchester Road was donated to the people of Castleton in 1904 and has hosted the suburb’s library service ever since.

The future of the site is now in doubt after the council announced, in a review of library services, that the Castleton library faced possible closure, stating that they had concerns over the condition of the building and over the costs of maintaining it.

Decisions to co-locate libraries have taken place borough wide, but Sheila Whitworth, chairwoman of the "friends of Castleton Library’ group, believes that Castleton should be treated under different circumstances. She told Rochdale Online: "Every library service is important but for Castleton the building where that service is located is equally important. Other people will be aggrieved at the relocation of their services but we believe we have an exceptional case due to the historical importance of Castleton Library and we feel this is not being considered."

The library was given to the people of Castleton in 1904 by the Rochdale council as the council reaped the benefits of Castleton’s successes in business and industry. The money for the project was donated by Andrew Carnegie from New York and it came with two stipulations: First, that the library should not cost the people of Castleton any money and second, that a penny in every pound on the rates should be set aside for its maintenance.

Mrs Whitworth continued: "No-one in the decision making process has given any credence to the Carnegie allowance of over a hundred years ago. Since then Rochdale has harnessed a lot of money from business in Castleton and some of that money should have been put back into Castleton and its library.

"We want to keep the library here to serve its original purpose in its original location as it was agreed when the library was given to the people of Castleton. We don’t want a plaque on the building that says it was the site of Castleton Library, we want a plaque that says that it is."

The council has responded by issuing a leaflet to make people aware of what is going on and it will be available from this weekend, Saturday 25 August. Entitled, "The truth behind the move", the leaflet states that when the decision to relocate was made in February of last year, closure or relocation were the only options available.

It goes on to say: "In the interest of the community the Liberal Democrat councillors reluctantly agreed that relocation was the best possible option. As a result of the decision to relocate, Castleton Community Centre has been given a major uplift and was therefore made exempt from the recent review, which could have meant further closure.

"The move has secured our library service but also made safe our well used community centre."

Castleton councillor Patricia Flynn told Rochdale Online that whilst she shared concerns of the future of the original building, moving to services to the Community Centre is a positive step for Castleton: "A report last night (Thursday 25 August) announced that we would be able to move the library service into the community centre in September. We understand that the Friends group are not talking about the service, they are concerned about the Carnegie Building.

"I can assure you that we are just as concerned. I have been going to the library since I was 5 and I learned to read there so if we can maintain it with whoever buys it that will be fine by us. This way we are able to maintain our library service and the Liberal Democrat councillors will do everything they can to ensure that the Carnegie Building is preserved and protected."