WLHC Project Stakeholder
Consultation
The new Worcester Library & History Centre is due to open
its doors in 2011/2012.
In order for this exciting venture to be a success it has
always been important that we hear your views on what you want to
see and experience when you visit. Since the Government announced
funding for the project in August 2005 a variety of public
consultation exercises have been carried out, and we plan to
continue asking for and listening to people's views as
the project moves forward.
If you have any comments you would like to make concerning
Worcester Library and History Centre please write or email us
using the details on the Strategic Projects Team page.
Overview of WLHC Consultation
The Citizen's Panel: August
2009
The Worcestershire County and Worcester City Citizen's Panels
were given the opportunity to comment on the project. The Panels
are made up of self-selected residents who anonymously answer
questions about the services provided in the County/City.
The initial response to the questionnaire indicated that more
than 85% of Worcester City residents and over 57% of county
residents would visit the new Worcester Library and History
Centre.
Crown Gate Shopping Centre:
22nd May until 12th June 2009
A full
display of theGalliford Try proposal was moved to the Crown Gate
Shopping centre as part of the planning consultation. The Joint
Project Team members and Galliford Try representatives were
available throughout this period to meet the public and explain the
scheme. The public were asked to leave their feedback on the
comment cards provided.
Preferred Bidder Scheme
Exhibitions at:
Guildhall, Worcester City
Council: 9 April 2009
The Exhibition was used as part of a Development Forum meeting,
the first of its kind in Worcester. The general public had a
further opportunity to view the final design of the new WLHC
building and leave their comments.
University of Worcester: 6 April
2009
The Exhibition was moved to the University of Worcester giving
an opportunity for the University staff to see the display of the
selected proposal and leave their comments.
County Hall:
3 April 2009
WLHC Project Stakeholders were invited to view the chosen design
prior to it being made available for the general public. The
Stakeholders also had an opportunity to meet the team and leave
their thoughts on the comment cards provided.
2 April 2009
After the Cabinet approval of the Preferred Bidder, staff of
Worcestershire County Council, Worcester City and the University of
Worcester were invited to view the selected scheme and meet the
Project Team members to ask any questions they had. Comments cards
were available.
Year 2008
Throughout the year 2008 various interest groups and other WLHC
Project Stakeholders were consulted on the proposals of the three
shorltisted bidders. Because of the confidentiality required by
this stage of the PFI process no formal public consultations could
be held.
Arts Workshop: March
2007
The following are some of the themes taken from the day:
- Identify Worcester and it's Uniqueness
- Visual views across the city
- Outside spaces facing the City Centre
- Seeing the inside form the outside
- Quality of design – not art to decorate
- Importance of interior design
The Consultation Workshop - What
does Worcestershire mean to you?: February 2007
This event attracted 50 attendees, including SAF, Friends, Young
Archaeologists, volunteers, attendees from race forum events,
bio-diversity, students. They were required during the course of
the day to produce their own A-Zs of Worcestershire; i.e. what the
City and County meant to them in alphabetic terms. Also, they were
asked how they thought it would be possible to design the County
into the building, such as using interactive maps and local
materials. The complete A-Z from the day and some of the ideas from
the afternoon sessions have been included in the Design Statement
for the new building. The A-Z part of the day was also undertaken
with four local schools.
Some of the things that represent Worcestershire as part of the
A-Z:
- Asparagus and Almshouses
- Lea and Perrins
- Metalbox
- Pershore Plums
- Vesta Tilley
- Zebras at the Safari Park
The Consultation Workshops - The
Children's Workshop:
February 2007
The next consultation day had a rather younger audience, 24
children, a
ged
5-11, representing the School Councils of 6 Worcester primary
schools. All the children had already talked about the New Library
and History Centre within their school context and produced some
ideas in advance about what they hoped for from the New Library and
History Centre. On the day, the facilitators gave the children a
number of tasks, such as prioritising services and thinking about
the needs of difference client groups and produced lists, diagrams
and drawings related to the tasks given. It was a day thoroughly
enjoyed by all.
The following are some of the themes taken from the day:
- A welcoming place
- Clean light and airy
- Somewhere safe to be outside
- Adults available to ask for help
- Clear direction so we can find our way around
- Accessible for all
The Consultation Workshops -
Redefining Library Services: January
2007
This session was led by the Head of Cultural Services at
Worcestershire County Council and the Director of Information and
Learning Services at the University of Worcester. The attendees
came from a broad range of backgrounds such as local societies and
other similar services in neighbouring counties. The day was
intended to formulate ideas as to how future library services would
or could develop and the synergies between the services being
brought together. It was a very successful event, with all
thoroughly engaging with the activities. A further exciting off
shoot of the day was discussions on the 'wow' factor for the
building and what it could offer.
The following are some of the themes taken from the day:
- Enthusiasm and support for the project
- Wide range of environments within the building: silent
space to vibrant, lively spaces, learning from retail
- Comfortable seating spaces, a 'living room in the city'
- Clear signage
- Meeting differing needs of a broad range of service users
- An emphasis on cultural activity within the building
The Independent Consultation
Report: July 2006
In July 2006, it was agreed that the Market Research Company BMG
should carry out formal consultation, building on the work already
achieved. The purpose of this further consultation was to ensure
that the new building was suitable for use by the public.
BMG carried out the following consultation activities, contacting
1,000+ people:
Qualitative
- Student focus group
- Academic Staff online discussion forum
- Two Older People focus groups
- High School focus group
- 5 Current Teenage library users – paired depth interviews
(these involved one BMG interviewer and two participants having a
discussion following a topic guide and answering questions)
- 8 Black, Minority, Ethnic residents – paired depth
interviews
- Headteachers' telephone interviews
- 2 Parent and Carer focus groups
Quantitative
- Face to face questionnaires with users of the City Library,
Customer Service Centre, History Centre branch of the Record
Office
- Business online survey
- Partner college, special interest, partner heritage online
survey
- Virtual workspace questionnaire with 14-19 year olds
The report showed a positive picture for the Project. Most
people interviewed were excited about the development and pleased
to be consulted. Common themes emerged across the groups. Here are
some examples:
- Light and airy, natural light, modern feel is wanted, but
sympathetic to surroundings
- A wide entrance/appearance of no door
- Clear visibility of all the floors from other floors eg:
Selfridges
- Maximising the spectacular river view is suggested
- Bringing the outside view inside is suggested, with the
Pompidou Centre being provided as an example.
- No desire for 'meeters and greeters' but 'floating' friendly
and helpful and knowledgeable members of staff are desired
- Co-ordinating public transport with opening times is
important
- Children should have a noisy area, well away from the quiet
area
- More space needed between computers; need for private working
space
- Disabled access is very important
- Toilets need to be spacious and continuously clean
- A mix of hard and soft seating is desired
The Crowngate Centre: July
2006
On 29 July, over 200 people
visited the Library and History Centre project team to view outline
plans and a graphical DVD of the new development. This event took
place half way through the Outline Planning process.
The Project team were available to answer queries and promote
this development and its contribution to the regeneration of the
Butts area of Worcester.
The response was very positive with many visitors expressing
their support for the project. Many suggested ways to improve the
current services and to ensure the building would be a success.
Some of the comments were:
- Would like website to track progress
- I hope there will be quiet areas for non students where they
can work
- Longer working hours in Library, longer time on PCs
- Park and Ride timings must match the hours of the building
opening
- I live in Pershore but I would use this as my weekly visit to
Worcester
- How will I be sure that the books I need for studying will be
available and not in use by the public?
The Citizen's Panel: November
2005
The Worcestershire County and Worcester City Citizen's Panels were
given the opportunity to comment on the project. The Panels are
made up of self-selected residents who anonymously answer questions
about the services provided in the County/City.
These questions also appeared on the University of Worcester staff
site and linked from the County Council's cultural web-pages to
pick up the views of people not on the Citizen's Panel.
Some of the responses were:
- 'The proposed library centre is a superb project'
- 'It's highly commendable that you are engaging in a
consultation process with the public. I really look forward to
using the facilities in the new library and history centre'
- 'A new library complex would be an ideal situation for
voluntary organisations to meet and promote their work'
- 'The Centre will be an excellent facility for students at the
Worcester University' but concern about continuation of local
County facilities if one new super-library to be built in Worcester
City
- 'Am looking forward to the new Library and History Centre –
hopefully I will still be alive when it opens! We have
wonderful history on the doorstep and this should provide a unique
celebration of local and British culture and history'
- The design 'must be in keeping with the general structure of
Worcester itself'
The Jigsaw Puzzle: September and
November 2005
People were invited to stop
and see a large jigsaw puzzle in the Crowngate Centre, Worcester.
They could scribble their views on the puzzle or on a postcard to
send in later. The jigsaw was split into 9 separate sections;
History, Exhibitions, Design Ideas, Meetings and Conferences, Food
and Drink, Quiet Study, Children, Busy Zone, and finally, What
Else? for anything we had missed.
More than 200 people visited over two days.
This same jigsaw puzzle appeared at the University of Worcester
library and foyer over two days in November 2005 for staff and
students to add views. The puzzle made a third appearance in
Worcester City Library for a visit from Bishop's Perowne School
Children in November 2005, who spent nearly an hour writing and
drawing their ideas for the new building. Hundreds of ideas were
written onto the jigsaw puzzle, with the most common theme being
good quality IT equipment and comfortable seating.
A sprinkling of some of the ideas and feedback include:
- Bright, colourful children's area
- DVD viewing and music areas
- Coeliac friendly, diabetic, Halal food
- An in-depth history wall depicting local history
- Adjustable tables for wheelchair use
- Radical design and eco-friendly
