New Hampton Hill library opens (Twickenham & Richmond Liberal Democrats)

New Hampton Hill library opens

February 13, 2010 5:24 PM

library • [Feb 12] THE new £200,000 Hampton Hill library was officially opened today. The Mayor of Richmond upon Thames, Cllr Celia Hodges, cut the ribbon as part of a packed day of celebration which included children's activity classes and a workshop by local author Suzanne Bugler.

The new venue at 68 High Street will offer new books, audio books, DVDs, and free internet access. It will also host reading groups, children's and community events, and there is an extension to the opening hours. The new library will replace the services previously located in Windmill Road.

Cllr Liz Jaeger, Cabinet Member for Youth, Culture and Leisure on Richmond Council, said: "I am delighted the new library is open. The upgraded space will be of real benefit to library users and more suitable for the classes and events the library team run. The new location on the High Street is far more prominent than the former site, and we are already seeing a boost to visitor numbers. Over half the population of the borough are now library members, and we had almost 1.5 million visitors last year, so it is important we improve what is on offer - the new venue will certainly do that. Also we will save money in the long term by moving to a brand new building in the High Street, given the costs there would have been to maintain the old library. It was an honour to open the new library. I hope the new venue will encourage even more people to find out what is on offer and build on the strong community links that were such a prominent part of the Windmill Road site."

Richmond upon Thames Liberal Democrats: