Town Hall Library Proposal

THAME’s town hall could be converted into a long-awaited new and bigger library for the town.
A statement by Thame Town Council published on its website today, says:
“Town Councillors have been debating the pros and cons of turning the Town Hall into a new library for Thame.
“The Town Council has received a bid from Oxfordshire County Council to purchase a lease for the building. The County Library Service has carried out a survey of the Town Hall and wants to convert it to meet the needs of Thame residents.
“Town Councillors decided to keep an open mind on the proposal when they met recently to discuss it. They have agreed to enter into initial negotiations with the County Council on the detail of any arrangement that may be considered acceptable by the Town Council.
“If an acceptable proposal were made, councillors want the residents of Thame to be consulted before taking it further.
“The County Council has three potential sites in mind for a new library but favours the Town Hall because of its prominent central location and parking facilities. The Town Council offices and One Stop Shop are currently housed in the building but these could be relocated to the Market House in the Upper High Street.
“A venue for Town Council meetings would need to be secured and the use of the Town Hall?s Upper Chamber by a few organisations would not be able to continue. However, the facilities in the Town Hall have limited use for community groups because of space restrictions and the amount of work needed to bring the building into a good state of repair.
“Whilst offering some meeting space for the community, the premises do not answer Thame?s need for a more extensive community centre which is one of the priorities of the Council and other groups in the town.
“The Town Council is now canvassing residents? views on the merits of turning the Town Hall into a library. Comments can be sent to the Town Clerk at the Town Hall, Thame or by emailing clerk@thametowncouncil.gov.uk