St Thomas Library to be demolished

Rosie Batsford

IN early April, Exeter City Council, on behalf of Exeter Estates Ltd, unveiled plans to demolish St Thomas Library and build a new block of flats.

There are specific bans targeting people that target ‘key strategic infrastructure’ so whereas someone might have just been arrested for obstruction of the highway, which is an existing law, if that highway happens to lead to an oil refinery, then you could maybe face a more severe sentence because you're daring to protest against activities in an oil refinery or against an airport being expanded or a road being expanded.

So essentially the police had all the powers that they needed before the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act of 2022 and the Public Order Act of 2023 to deal with us. They had those powers and what this new legislation does is basically give the government and the police power to shut down any effective form of protest because they're so broadly defined and so vaguely worded. It gives the Home Secretary and the police carte blanche to do what they like. If they don't like what you're doing, then they can in theory shut you down for any reason.

É: graduating this year, how do you see the transition going after being a student activist at university?

EW: spent the last two years of my degree wondering whether I should drop out, so

EW: Yes, please, please do join us for slow marches. Slow marches are still, in theory, legal, even though the government are trying to make them illegal. But the reason they’re trying to make them illegal is because they just might work. So please, do reach out to me on social media or go to juststopoil.org and sign up for slow marches. It is now or never, we've got this tiny little window in which to enact meaningful change, and we kind of need everyone on board. So yeah, if you're any doubt about what you want to do with your life, please consider giving some of your time to being a climate activist.

The council justified their plans, stating in planning application documents, “It is appreciated that this is currently a much-loved community library, but this is relocating anyway and so the building will have a new use”.

Devon County Council and St Thomas Library say that they were “unaware” of demolition plans, or any plans to move the library, clarifying that they intended to renegotiate the building lease, which runs out this November. Devon County Council has contacted the landlord to “understand what the situation is”, but no further comment has been made.

Devon Live interviewed a spokesperson from Exeter Estates Ltd, who said they are looking into where confirmation of the library relocating was obtained and are still considering “all options for the site”. As of the 4th of May 2023, 151 comments have been left under the planning application on Exeter City Council’s website, with the plans receiving 149 objections, and 1 vote of support. On the 20th of April, St Thomas Library posted on Facebook in response to the outpour of advocation for the library, “The comments really bring home how much we are valued in St Thomas.” The post also confirmed that “we still have no wish to relocate the library”.

The future of this community asset remains uncertain, but public support lies firmly in the library’s corner.