Welshpool Library claim ‘not correct’

Accusations that Powys County Council has not delivered on its promise for the former library to become a customer drop-in for residents have been dismissed by the authority.

Our story yesterday carried a claim by former county councillor-but-current Welshpool town councillor, Phil Pritchard, that Powys had let the town down following the controversial decision that saw the popular facility close, with the library downgraded and squeezed in with the Powysland Museum by the canal.

As part of his claim, Cllr Pritchard said at the Town Council meeting that “the doors are locked on the library and if you knock the door they tell you to go away (and say) ‘sorry visitors aren’t accepted in this building’.”

But Powys County Council have defended their unpopular decision, stating that “there was never a specific requirement for services to have a set number of officers working in the building at any given time”. They added that Covid had also changed the way that the council operated certain services.

A spokesperson told us: “The statement about the office facility following the move from Neuadd Maldwyn to the old library is not correct.

“The facility was designed and is still capable of accommodating officers from various service areas who wish to work from the building. Initially, the business case assumed that services located in Neuadd Maldwyn at the time of its closure would be allocated proportionate space in the new building.

“However, there was never a specific requirement for services to have a set number of officers working in the building at any given time.

“It’s also important to note that Powys County Council services have adapted to post-Covid working practices. As a result, most public access to the building is now by appointment, allowing the council to manage interactions more effectively and safely.”

Despite more than 4,000 people signing a petition, and a protest march through Welshpool attended by hundreds of people, the library building closed in 2019.