CLLR Peter Herrington’s insulting comments about “nimbies” in the Guardian (May 7) reveal his ignorance of matters that he is handsomely paid to know about.

He may claim that “St James Street Library is dead in the water” but the people who live around it disagree, which is why we oppose its conversion into a drug centre.

St James Street Library Campaign has fought for more than two years on the single issue of getting our library building reopened for community use.

Thousands of local residents have signed petitions and filled in surveys asking for this. Much as we wish to have our library back, we have always been willing to compromise, and would accept a community centre with a library section.

But we do not accept losing public use of the only community building in the Coppermill Lane area. A drug-treatment centre is not a community use. That is why we oppose it.

If we were simply saying “not in my back yard”, we would have complained about the drug centre already operating a five-minute walk away. We have not complained about that because it is suitably housed in the Alpha business centre.

St James Street Library is unsuitable for a drug centre because it opens onto a residential street, passed by children walking to several nearby schools and adults walking to the shops. That’s part of what makes it ideal for a library and community centre.

Given that Cllr Herrington holds positions on the Asian Centre and the Race Equality Council, I wonder why he doesn’t support St James Street Library.

Many immigrant and ethnic-minority residents are among those supporting the library, because they want their children to have a better life.

Or does Cllr Herrington dismiss the aspirations of this bunch of “nimbies”?

Janet Wright, Chewton Rd, Walthamstow