Cllr James O’Rourke

Last night Cabinet voted not to reopen the former St James Street Library in Coppermill Lane despite pleas from the Save Our Library campaign.

In anticipation of the Cabinet decision Liberal Democrat High Street Councillors have been in talks with a local scout group in Stephenson Road. The 7th Walthamstow Scout Group, for the past 40 years at Pathfinder Lodge, has hosted a variety of activities engaging local young people in scouting activates. Pathfinder Lodge has also been extensively used by local community groups and been available for use by the local community for residents meetings, children’s parties etc.

Local community groups such as older person’s social groups, a performing arts group and a Turkish language group have not been able to use the building because the roof has started to leak and the floor has been damaged.

The scout group have submitted a bid to the Walthamstow West Community Council, to be held on Monday 6th October at Walthamstow Academy, Billet Road, E17, for the High Street ward £10,000 ‘pot’ to carry out the repairs. A successful application will enable the Scout Group to welcome back the local groups who used the building prior to the roof leaking and work with local partners to market and promote the hall’s availability.

Cllrs James O’Rourke and Johar Khan said: “We cannot afford to lose the last remaining community facility in the Coppermill Lane area so would urge as many High Street residents to attend the Community Council and support this bid. We have spoken to senior Council Officers who have said that if after a feasibility study was done on the building and work completed to make it fit for purpose and the possibility of a children’s library and access point explored, they would work with volunteers from the community to assist in the initial development, but that they had no money to fund any staff. Any resources would have to be in the form of a growth bid and this would only be in next year’s growth programme.”

Cllrs O’Rourke and Khan will work with the scout group and local community to ensure the building and grounds are fit for purpose and once they are press Council Officers to submit a growth bid, for 2009/10, to help provide services such as a part-time children’s library and study area and library access point for older residents in Pathfinder Lodge.