Devastated residents in Hulme are battling to save Hulme Library from closure, but also to save its famous millennium mural from demolition and oblivion.
Hulme library was among five earmarked for closure as part of Manchester City Council’s recent £109 million spending cuts. The building is also set to be demolished.
Mural: facing oblivion
Cal Harvey, a Hulme resident and library user, said: “The closure of the library is devastating enough but we would also lose the adult education centre and a free meeting space.
“I was one of the people involved in making the Hulme mural which is on the wall of the library. If the building is closed the building will be demolished and the mural with it as it cannot be removed from the wall.”
Harvey and his fellow campaigners have contacted English Heritage to ask them to list the mural as an important piece of public art. If the mural gains a listing, the building cannot be demolished.
The campaigners say the mural needs to be cleaned before English Heritage will view it. They are organising a community action today to start the clean-up.
Harvey said: “We will give it a scrub but we will also be highlighting to passers-by what the loss of the library will mean.”
Deyika Nzeribe, Hulme’s Green Party candidate, said: “Its important to support this action, it’s a key facility in Hulme.”
The mural cleaning at Hulme Library is on Saturday 19 March at 2.30pm.
Another part of hulme being destroyed by a city council aiming to change the face of the area into a cold and lifeless place.
The mural is pretty ugly, no one will miss it.