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July 6, 2006
Throw all the money away
In addition to the £200- £300m wasted every year in operating cost of the public library service (see the next item) we now discover in a report published by another company of consultants, that in the past 5 years £277m has been spent on capital works on library buildings.
The report then finds that in the councils in which this expenditure has taken place there is no visible improvement against any measure that the government has set for the public library service. The report says that performance in the councils in which the investment has taken place is no better- at all - than performance where no investment has been made. It has been a waste.
Almost every single building and refurbishment has been done in a different way to a different design by different (and expensive) designers and architects; the government standards and measures don't include anything about the condition of buildings and that the money has not been directed at improving the opening hours or stock which is what people most require.
This analysis was conducted from published data and was shown to the MLA some time ago - who, of course, have done nothing about it. (Except to boast about how much money has been spent)
We needed that money. We needed it all.
Will nobody listen to what I am saying?
Posted by Tim Coates at July 6, 2006 2:15 PM