You can admire the recently restored clock while you’re there…
Sorry this is late, I was working on something else last night, but today, Tuesday 18th November 2014 from 10am-12noon, there’s a Walsall Council budget Consultation event in Brownhills Library at The Parkview Centre in Brownhills. Everyone is invited to attend and offer their view on prospect cuts to the local council budget, and Council Officers will be on hand to discuss matters.
If you have concerns about cuts to services, this is your opportunity to express them and get your voice heard.
A list of dates of upcoming events is presented below, so even if you can’t make this one, there will be others. It’s worth pointing out that feedback from last year’s consultations did make a difference, so this is well worth participating in.
It’s also worth noting that there’s a library consultation going on too:
Everyone from regular library visitors to those who never use the service are being urged to have their say on helping shape its future as part of a proposed restructure.
An online consultation asking people for their views on the library service is now available at http://www.walsall.gov.uk/budgethaveyoursay (please scroll to the bottom of the page to access the link).Printed copies are also available in the borough’s libraries.
People are being asked to fill in the survey as part of the council’s budget consultation which is now underway.
The authority needs to save £86 million over the next four years.The draft budget proposals include plans to close five libraries(Beechdale, Pheasey, South Walsall, Streetly and Walsall Wood in 2015/16 and a further three(Blakenall, New Invention and Rushall) in 2016/17.
Councillor Khizar Hussain, portfolio holder for community, leisure and culture, at Walsall Council, said: “Difficult decisions and, ultimately, unpopular ones have to be made in the coming years if we are to achieve the level of savings needed.
‘With regards to libraries there is a proposal on the table for 2015/16 and 2016/17 but I would stress this is only a suggestion and could change in the light of consultation feedback.
‘The consultation is aimed at everyone from supporters of the libraries named in the draft proposals, to a complete non-user or someone that uses the online services only. We want to hear what the people have to say in terms of their ideas for how the borough’s library service should be delivered,within the available budget,to alternative savings suggestions.
‘If you live, work visit or do business in Walsall please take this opportunity to give us your feedback.’
As part of the consultation telephone interviews will also be carried out with a random sample of library and non-library users.
The consultation runs until 4 January 2015. All the information received will be fed back to help shape the final proposals which will go before full council for approval in February.
Dates, times and venues are detailed below.
| Venue | Date | Time |
| Brownhills Library, Park View Centre, Chester Road North | 18 Nov | 10.00 to 12.00 |
| Central Library, Lichfield Street, Walsall | 20 Nov | 12.00 to 14.00 |
| Darlaston Library, 1 King Street, Darlaston | 21 Nov | 14.00 to 16.00 |
| First Stop Shop, Civic Centre, Darwall Street, Walsall | 24 Nov | 10.00 to 12.00 |
| Council House Room 4, Lichfield Street, Walsall | 25 Nov | 18.00 to 20.00 |
| First Stop Express, Park Street, Walsall | 26 Nov | 10.00 to 16.00 |
| Bloxwich Library, Elmore Row, Bloxwich | 28 Nov | 14.00 to 16.00 |
| First Stop Shop, Civic Centre, Darwall Street, Walsall | 1 Dec | 14.00 to 16.00 |
| First Stop Express, Willenhall Town Centre | 2 Dec | 09.30 to 12.30 |
| First Stop Express, King Street, Darlaston | 2 Dec | 13.30 to 16.00 |
| Central Library, Lichfield Street, Walsall | 4 Dec | 16.00 to 18.00 |
| Willenhall Library, Walsall Street, Willenhall | 5 Dec | 10.00 to 12.00 |
| First Stop Express, Willenhall Town Centre | 9 Dec | 09.30 to 12.30 |
| First Stop Express, King Street, Darlaston | 9 Dec | 13.30 to 16.00 |
| First Stop Shop, Civic Centre, Darwall Street, Walsall | 9 Dec | 14.00 to 16.00 |
The First Stop Express bus stops in Willenhall and Darlaston every Tuesday (execpt on 18 November due to maintenance).
You can read about the consultations on the council website here.
Please do take part in the consultations if you can. The cuts will massively affect not just Brownhills, but the whole borough and I’d like to think we can all have our say.
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I have to be honest Bob, vulnerable people are having their care cut to the bone with the cuts to Adult Social Care and Children’s services. let alone all the issues surrounding the current “unlawful” charging policy for the care being charged to the most vulnerable in our Society, against Government Guidance and it has been going on for over 3 years.
If cuts to libraries are the price we have to pay, its wrong but I personally would rather see that then people who need care loose out even more. Lifes are at stake and if Libraries are under used it sadly a luxury we can no longer afford.
Walsall Council particularly Social Care is a complete shambles and so much wrong I couldn’t begin to list it all here.
But if people have been charged unlawfully who are living only on disability benefits which I know they have, then this money will have to be paid back.
No one ever seems to really call Local Authorities to account, including the Government of the day who have the power to do so, but said power has never been used since 1970!
It’s all very concerning.
Will the Council appease the majority who probably rarely use some of the services at the price of the most vulnerable who cannot speak for themselves?