The Highland High Life site reads:
"Public consultation for the inclusion of Nairn Library into the proposed new school and community campus at Duncan Drive, Nairn.
It is proposed to move the public library from its existing High Street location to the site of the agreed new Nairn Academy School and Community Campus at Duncan Drive, creating a new community Library. The documents in the ‘Downloads’ section will provide you with the following information:
A list of benefits to the proposal
Examples of contemporary Highland library interiors giving an indication of how the new community library space may look.
Examples of current programmes of activities and events on offer in our co-located libraries
We would welcome your feedback on the proposal. To leave feedback or comments please complete the Nairn Library Consultation Form and either Email it to nairn.library@highlifehighland.com or print it and hand it in at Nairn Library by close of business on Friday 25th March 2022."
An NRCC spokesperson told the Gurn:
Despite Community Councils requesting the physical consultation to take place over several weeks High Life Highland have restricted it to between 7th March and 11th March. The on-line consultation is from 7th March to 25th March. "
2 comments:
Really hard to find more information and the exploration if the issues anywhere. Why is this being proposed? is it a good idea? Is it not? How is this a consultation other than for show.
Nairn BID has this morning submitted this letter of response to the consultation.
Dear Sirs
I am writing on behalf of Nairn BID which represents the interests of over 200 levy paying businesses based around Nairn Town Centre. Everyone depends on having a thriving High Street with a mixed clientele of locals and visitors, taking advantage of the wide range of services offered within a very compact area, making everything accessible to all ages and abilities, and through active travel and public transport links, meaning that we are all so lucky that Nairn truly fits the description of a 20 minute neighbourhood. Nairn BID exists to make Nairn a more attractive, and prosperous place to live, work and do business. The "20 minute neighbourhood" is a fundamental principle, actively promoted and supported by the Scottish Government, for the recovery and sustainability of small towns like Nairn, and having essential services like the Library on the High Street helps to maintain essential footfall to our businesses.
We wish to express our concern at the proposals to move Nairn Library to the site of the new Nairn Academy, Duncan Drive, from its current High Street site because we believe there is a serious disconnect between maintaining the principles of the 20 minute neighbourhood and this proposed move. We are concerned that this proposal would have an adverse impact on members' income, local jobs and therefore the positive experience of Nairn that the BID is here to support.
While the Library's current building is less than ideal, we believe that investing in an alternative, better central High Street location, would bring all of the benefits of better facilities with it, which are so badly needed by all of the community, while maintaining the Library's centrality and accessibility to all. It would also avoid any potential issues with the interface between the school and the wider public. Another empty property on the High Street will benefit nobody, and we would be interested to know if there is a clear plan for the building after the Library leaves it.
We believe that relocating the Library to the Duncan Drive site will not increase the usage as it has done in other locations, due to that site being so far out of the town centre, only accessible really by car, and not on any bus routes. We believe that the development of the new school which is so long awaited should be separated from this plan to relocate the Library. We will encourage townspeople and businesses to add their views, and look forward to seeing the results of the consultation.
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