Wednesfield Library branded a 'folly'

Community groups that have moved in to Wolverhampton's new £2.2 million library building today condemned it as "a complete folly".

A community centre has opened inside the new striking Wednesfield Library building, which has replaced another centre in the town.

The two-storey building in Well Lane, created as part of a partnership between Wolverhampton City Council and the Big Lottery Fund, was opened in on June 1. But complaints are flooding in from users.

They say available rooms at the centre, which replaced one in Albert Squire Road, are stuffy, poorly ventilated, and too small.

Wednesfield Family History Group project leader Jacqueline Hodgkiss claimed her members had not had a proper meeting since they officially because of their dissatisfaction.

And she has written to Councillor Matthew Holdcroft, cabinet member for leisure and culture, demanding action.

"The entire building is a complete folly. The size and shape of all the community rooms are ridiculous," she said.

She added that she has had to turn several potential new members away because there was neither enough computers or enough space to accommodate more than the group's eight members.

Sadie Lambert, 46, who runs the Refresh social club for children and adults at the venue, said: "It is far too small, we have had to throw a lot of our toys away because there is only one cupboard and the air ventilation system is broken."

Despite the complaints, a new council report on the building has revealed that the number of library users has increased by 106 per cent and computer usage has increased by 46 per cent compared to June 2009.

Wolverhampton City Council's Gurdip Thandi said meetings had been held with groups and concerns were being discussed.