Letters respond to "gaff-prone Eddy" tell the truth and remind campaigners

This week it is the Croydon Guardian again who has features letters regarding the Upper Norwood Joint Library.  You can read the letters here on page 21 of this week's edition. All appear to have been written in response to this offering from Cllr Eddy Arram, which we reproduced, with comments, here.

What the letters this week all have in common is that they doubt the words of Cllr Eddy Arram.

John Payne, Chairman of the Crystal Palace Community Association, implores Croydon to work with Lambeth.

Presumably at the time of writing Mr Payne was unaware that Croydon had already set in motion plans to value the library and book stock, all set out in a letter sent after the last post date before Christmas had passed, giving Lambeth unreasonable time scales within which to respond.  You can read the story, which includes a copy of Croydon CEO, Jon Rouse's letter, here.  

Then there is the letter where the writer refers to Croydon's,

 "stubborn, wilful and irresponsible disinclination to comply with the Joint Library Agreement..." 

And finally we have local ward councillor, Pat Ryan, putting Cllr Arram straight.  

Cllr Ryan's reference to 

"dear gaff-prone Eddy" 

will ring true with many Croydon residents.  It reminds us all of the previous exchanges on Croydon libraries, again in the letters pages of the local press. You can read Cllr Arrram's letter with comments here, which one of the campaigners responded to here. 

Perhaps Cllr Arram might like to pause to consider more carefully next time he makes a statement, as Croydon and Lambeth residents are not so easily taken in.

We are also sure that Cllr Sara Bashford will thank him warmly for reminding the Save Croydon Libraries Campaign group that, as was stated in this post back in August 2011, written in response to Cllr Arram's letter, that we promised to share why we believe Croydon residents were denied a say on libraries and residents' concerns were not being taken seriously. 

We never did that fully, did we?  Cheers for the reminder Eddy!

Library users have been denied say on future

A local resident wrote to the Croydon Guardian to express concern at the complete lack of information available to Croydon residents on libraries, Kept in the dark over Croydon Libraries. This was responded to by Councillor Eddy Arram, reproduced here, who refuted Ms Parry's claims, so the campaign group responded and are pleased to be included in the Croydon Guardian letter page this week:

I was very surprised by Councillor Eddy Arram’s letter (We have listened and are responding over libraries, July 20) which was written in reply to Ms Parry’s excellent letter.  

Like Ms Parry I share the concern that residents are being kept in the dark over libraries. The decision to market test involves all 13 libraries and not just the six that were the subject of the original consultation. 

Residents are yet to see one official notification of this decision so many are still unaware.  Not even a simple A4 notice has been spotted in any Croydon library. 

Even national campaigners, such as Public Libraries News, point to Croydon’s reticence to be proud of the decision and note that the market sounding exercise was almost impossible to find on the council's website, and there was only a fortnight for private companies to register an interest in any case.  

The cross party commission into libraries offered by Labour would have been a productive move and have given all residents a say in the future of libraries and the opportunity to explore all options yet Coun Arram seems to think to do so would disregard the views of all those who have already responded. It would not have meant disregarding what has already been said - as surely this would be a major contribution to the process - but would allow those who had not responded, and particularly users of libraries not subject to the original consultation process, an opportunity to have their say.

Residents spoke up in their thousands and the council is ‘listening’ by disregarding what they said, denying users of the other seven libraries a say and hiding their decision.  I think that certainly counts as keeping residents in the dark! 

Elizabeth Ash 

Sanderstead Library Campaign Group

www.savesandersteadlibrary.co.uk

But why do campaigners believe that many residents are being denied a say and the council is disregarding what residents have told them?  We'll be following that up in our next post...