Green Party councillors for Tong Ward have welcomed the re-opening of Holmewood Library.
Tong Ward’s Green Party councillors Matt Edwards and Celia Hickson have welcomed the reopening of the library.
Councillor Edwards said, “I am absolutely delighted that the Holmewood Library has finally reopened after being closed for nearly three years. The refurbished library is a great place for people to come and meet other people, access computers and borrow books.
“We are getting closer to re-establishing the TFD Centre as a real community hub in the heart of Holmewood.
However, Green councillors have raised concerns about the short opening hours and have pledged to look for ways to extend this,
Councillor Edwards added, “Four hours a day, three days a week is not good enough really.
“Other libraries across Bradford are open for much longer. We have already had people contact us wanting to see the library open after schools for kids and that is something we are working on.”
The library has been closed since the start of the Coronavirus pandemic.
A petition was started in 2016 to Save Holmewood Library after a budget set by the Labour-run council voted to cut staffing at the library completely. Since then the library has been run by volunteers.
Tong Ward Councillors have asked Bradford Council to use leftover government funding as part of Well Bradford which was allocated to Holmewood to fund a new Community Development Officer role.
Councillor Celia Hickson said, “Before Bradford Council cut staffing at the library this was used by nearly a thousand people a week. It is more than just a place to get books but it is a vital community hub where people can access a whole host of council services.
“Communities like Holmewood really need places like this and I am glad that we, as Tong Ward councillors, have been able to secure funding for a new job, which will be managed by the Sutton Centre, to help make it easier for the community to access the new facilities in the library and the TFD.”
