Balloch campaigners threaten legal action in bid to block library relocation

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Balloch residents have ramped up their campaign against the relocation of the village’s library in an open letter to their MP and MSP - where they threaten legal action to block the move.Earlier this month, WDC’s Labour administration rejected pleas to reverse a controversial decision to relocate Balloch Library to the village’s school campus - which is already home to Balloch and St Kessog’s Primary, Balloch Early Learning and Childcare Centre (ELCC) and an Additional Support Needs (ASN) unit.Labour say the move will save the cash-strapped local authority - which faced a budget gap of more than £20million this year - around £50,000 annually.However campaigners have vowed to continue to fight against the plans, and have now sent a letter to MP Martin Docherty-Hughes and MSP Jackie Baillie.The letter, seen by the Lennox, says: “We, the community, are very worried about the risk to both children and library users.

Our concerns include the following; security of children, fire safety coordination between schools and library, disabled access, parking and toilet facilities.“Can you please investigate what square footage of free unused space there is in the building, rather than looking only at pupil numbers?“At present the plans show that the headteacher’s office, part of the nursery teachers’ staff-room and the printer room have been repurposed to form the library.“This is a tiny amount of space, totally inadequate for a library, and these rooms are necessary to the running of the school.”It continues: “It was stated that ‘secure entry to the school will remain in place, as per current arrangements.’“Parents and carers were alarmed to read that there would need to be a fire exit in the library, so this would be a direct