Twyford's library location hopes dashed

Dreams of turning the former pub in Twyford into a library looked dead in the water this week after a meeting of town hall planners appeared to kill-off any hope of developing the JW Greens site.

Campaigners had been hoping to renovate the first floor of the London Road building, but at a meeting on Wednesday last week officials instead decided to grant permission for it to be turned into a gym.

Twyford borough councillor Stephen Conway, who for five years has battled to turn the JW Greens site into a library, expressed his disappointment about the blow. He vowed to continue fighting for new facilities in the village centre, but criticised the town hall's cabinet for not seizing their opportunity to secure a library while they had a chance.

He said: "If blame is attached to anyone in this episode, it is really to the council executive for not making a speedy decision. That's the real disappointment. The council executive really didn't make a decision speedily enough to be able to make use of this chance, which many regard as a golden opportunity to have a library in a central location."

At a planning committee meeting on Wednesday night councillors instead approved an application to develop a gym, driving a nail into the coffin of the library campaign's best hope.
Ex-marine Ewan Hewertson now has permission to build a £250,000 private members complex on the first floor of the building.

The ground floor of the former JW Greens pub is currently in the process of being turned into an Indian restaurant and wine bar. The restaurant and bar, managed by father-of-three Mohammad Amin, is due to open at the end of the month.