At last, after sustained pressure from us all, council staff have sent a memo to the Waitematā Local Board, outlining a path for upgrading of the Leys Library and Gymnasium
The Local Board has copied the memo to Friends of the Leys Institute and asked that it be circulated. A huge thank you to everyone in the community who advocated for the Leys with Councillors and the Local Board - our persistence has paid off.
The memo outlines a timetable for developing the detailed business case, then planning and implementing the works. The Council's Covid Long Term Plan Budget allocates around $11m for seismic strengthening of community facilities in 2023, and the same in 2024. We assume this is the budget that will be accessed for the Leys upgrading.
It also states that there will be full consultation with key stakeholders, including Friends of the Leys Institute. We certainly expect to be part of the proposed steering group, along with the St Mary’s Bay Association, Herne Bay Resident’s Association, Freeman’s Bay Resident’s Association, and we hope, library staff.
While the seismic strengthening and restoration of our precious heritage library and gymnasium is still at least two years away, we will need to keep a close watch on the process. We will have to ensure that the commitment by the Council is honoured, as we have already waited for nearly two years, with no action.
Our membership continues to increase every month, and now stands at 221. Anyone interested in becoming a member of Friends of Leys Institute can email co-ordinator Helen Geary at heleng@maxnet.co.nz, and follow the Friends of Leys Institute Facebook page.
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Published 3 September 2021