Civic Theatre site for library

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32562, 23 March 1971, Page 1

Civic Theatre site for library

The Qty Council last evening voted in favour of the Civic Theatre-Worcester Street corner as the site for the new Canterbury Public Library.

The decision was made on the recommendation of the cultural committee “in view of the need to give the Post Office a firm indication of the council’s ultimate intention to vacate the present library site on the corner of Cambridge Terrace and Hereford Street.”

1 acquired, the Civic Theatre f site still took pride of place. J “The proposal is that the s site should incorporate the »Civic Theatre, the block of ’ shops on the Worcester Street comer, the Regional ’ Planning Authority building j and adjacent car park. Superb site t “This would cover an area t of 21,450 sq. ft, giving 5 adequate provision for public i services on the ground floor. ) It would provide a superb comer site only three minutes ! walk from the centre of the , city, adjacent to a densely f populated business and office 1 area and within 50 yards of I a large municipal parking ; building. Most of the land is ’ already council-owned and it ' is presumed the Civic 1 Theatre will become redun-

The committee reported that the postal authorities at a recent meeting made it quite clear that they expected eventually to acquire the present library site for future development of the new postal centre. “They claimed, in fact, that the planning of the centre could be jeopardised and the rebuilding of the Central Post Office still further delayed unless they could have an assurance that the library site would be made available for Post Office use within the next 15 to 20 years,” the report said. A report prepared for the council in November, 1970. examined the feasibility of rebuilding the library in stages on its present site; and suggested that although this would appear possible if some of the Canterbury Club’s parking area could be

dant when the Town Hall opens.

“The unimproved value of the whole area is $137,700 and the capital value $252,300. The unimproved value of the present site is $115,000 and the capital value $189,000,” the report said. “It is felt that a decision to build a new library would find favour with most of our citizens, and this feeling is strengthened by an action survey conducted in England recently by the National Association of Local Government Officers. It found that 83 per cent of those interviewed put libraries at the top of their list of approved local government services.” The report mentioned “frequency of inquiries from members of the public as to our progress towards a new building.”

Cr H. G. Hay, chairman of the cultural committee, said the council wanted to be able to plan ahead and the Civic Theatre-Worcester Street site was the most favourable. “Day-to-day operations in the library are becoming a nightmare. In a short time, we will be forced to divorce sections of the library from the existing main building—to the inconvenience of the public. “I hope that a start on a new library can be contemplated within five years,” he said. Cr R. H. Stillwell said he would vote against the motion. It should be sited in the Town Hall complex as planned by Professor Stephenson and supported by the council.

Cr Hay said that the professor did not advocate a library in the complex—the council had planned one in its just thinking. Cr R. H. Stewart said the motion was only that “present evidence” was that the Civic Theatre site was the best one. The council had to tell the Post Office it was going to vacate the present library site so the Post Office could go ahead with its planning. To vote against that recommendation was wrong.