I was idly leafing through various DTC documents while waiting for some paint to dry and came across this statement in support of planning application 17/01452 for 11 flats and retail at Buckland Mill Service Station: 'We are looking forward to reading the new library books this development will bring to Dover Library'.
Intrigued (not least by the thought of anyone at DTC actually reading a book) I found the documents on the DDC planning pages. It turns out that KCC, having assessed the development's impact on service delivery, have concluded that this 'will require mitigation either through the direct provision of infrastructure or the payment of an appropriate financial contribution'. One of the upshots of this is that Dover library's book budget would benefit to the tune of £528.17 over a three-year period. Hurrah!
Is this provision common knowledge?
In any case, though £176.06 annually seems a small sum (and why for only three years?), it is based on 2014 figures (surely there are more up-to-date ones) that estimate the number of 'active borrowers' in Kent as being only some 13.28% of the population. Poor in my view.
But, here's the thing: according to KCC
Dover library's bookstock per 1000 population is significantly below the county average, and both are well below the England and total UK averages.
So, I suggest you get your purchase requests in early, and insist that the book's for Dover library, or they'll put it in Canterbury or, worse, Deal. Then you might get your hands on it before the DTC book club do.
All documents here:
https://planning.dover.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=documents&keyVal=DCAPR_233830