#Croydon spin on Upper Norwood Library

A press release posted on Croydon Council's website today read, as follows. The spin  is breathtaking... We quote,

"The change to a community-run library service in Upper Norwood has moved a step closer with the completion of the transfer of library staff from Croydon's payroll to Lambeth's.

Lambeth will now take on responsibility for making the final arrangements to allow a community group to take over the library's day-to-day running.

Once the new arrangements are in place, it is anticipated that the library will be able to increase its opening hours, which were recently reduced to three days per week after several staff took voluntary redundancy.

Councillor Tim Pollard, cabinet member for children, families and learning, said: "I'm pleased that the money we have provided to the library, and the hard work of Croydon's HR and finance teams, has allowed the process to move on to the next stage.

"We were disappointed that the library's staff recently chose to reduce opening times. However, we're certain that once they've reorganised their rotas they will be able to open for at least four days per week.""

Anyone like to remind Cllr Tim Pollard that it the withdrawal of funding by Croydon that has resulted in these redundancies and drastic cuts to opening hours before the Trust is even in place?

Show support for Upper Norwood Library Campaign by following them on Facebook, on Twitter @SaveUNLibrary and take a look at UNLC website at http://www.unlc.org.uk/

Can you believe #Croydon Labour on libraries?

A press release was issued today and kindly forwarded to the Campaign group as it had not shared directly with us. 

This press release will anger people further.  We are the campaign group in Croydon and no one has heard what we have to say so it is unbelievable that the press release is entitled "Labour Listens to Library Campaigners"

Here is the contents of the press release in its entirely.

LABOUR LISTENS TO LIBRARY CAMPAIGNERS
Croydon's Labour Leader Cllr Tony Newman and Lambeth Leader Cllr Lib Peck joined forces with Upper Norwood councillor Pat Ryan this week to restate Labour’s commitment to the much loved and treasured Upper Norwood Joint library. Labour Leader Councillor Tony Newman said:  

"Labour councillors have forced an Emergency meeting on Croydon Council for this Monday to defend all of Croydon's libraries; fighting Tory plans to privatise our valued libraries and their staff. The Tories plans to sell our libraries will cost council tax payers in Croydon more money and it will rip the heart out of the libraries vital role in our community. These are not my words but those of library users and campaigners in Croydon.”  

Labour’s spokesperson for Libraries Councillor Timothy Godfrey said: 

"The Upper Norwood Library Trust is a model that the incoming Labour council of 2014 is determined to see rolled out across to other libraries in Croydon. It will give the community a real say in how our libraries are run and what services are provided there." 

Leader of Lambeth Council Councillor Lib Peck said: 

"I was delighted to join Croydon Labour colleagues to reaffirm our commitment to Upper Norwood Library service and supporting Croydon Labour's fight against the Tory cuts to library services and other sectors in Croydon."

Croydon Labour have not forced a meeting.  This is procedure.

Croydon Conservatives do not plan to " sell our libraries".

If Croydon Labour insist on ignoring the views of residents they will have little chance of becoming "the incoming Labour Council of 2014" as no one will trust them. At least the Conservatives kept up the pretence of consulting. It was a totally flawed consultation and ignoring the views of residents but at least they went through the motions.  But Labour, who promised a public meeting that never materialised, are now foisting a plan, built of political dogma, without any engagement with the public.

Where did this come from? Does anyone know?

Is there any party in Croydon likely to actually represent the views and wishes of Croydon residents?

If there are any residents or library campaigners who are in contact with Labour and feeding in these views please do get in touch as we do not know of you and would like to understand where this has come from.

We doubt very much they exist.

Croydon still paying for library they tried desperately to ditch!

It has been announced by Lambeth Council that they will take over responsibility for the 112-year-old Upper Norwood Library in a deal with Croydon Council which they claim will safeguard its future. The library had been threatened with closure.

The library had been jointly funded by both councils. Croydon Council's decision to cut its contribution by £100,000 provoked a strong reaction from the local community and the situation has been carefully monitored by Upper Norwood Library Campaign.

Lambeth Council state that under the agreement Croydon Council will transfer to the library building, staff, and agreed budgets to Lambeth. Lambeth in turn will work with the community-led steering group Upper Norwood Joint Campaign whose aim is to create a new trust which will run the library as “a publicly-funded, professionally staffed service”.

The deal has been welcomed by Lambeth’s Cabinet Member for Culture and Leisure, Councillor Sally Prentice.

Cllr Prentice said,

 “I am delighted that Lambeth have been able to save Upper Norwood Library from closure. It’s fantastic news for local residents and guarantees the future of this library which is held in high regard by the community. 

While councils up and down the country are closing libraries, in Lambeth we have protected our libraries and are investing over £7 million in new services, working side by side with the community.”

The detail of the agreement is being negotiated and the transfer of assets from Croydon to Lambeth is scheduled to take place over the next few months.

Lambeth will contribute £170,000 a year to the running of the library.

Although Croydon has always maintained that Lambeth were in the wrong and that it was Lambeth that broke the joint agreement it is interesting to note that Croydon Council has agreed to provide an annual contribution of £75,000, for the next two years, renewable under a three-year funding agreement.

It is doubtful that Croydon would pay a penny more than they were contractually bound to pay.

News from Crystal Palace: BASHFORD BROUGHT TO BOOK - UPDATE

Residents are encouraged by campaigners to continue to send in comments to be taken into consideration by Croydon after Cllr Tim Pollard has given his assurance that comments will be taken into consideration in the consultation.


The message reads, 

 "Cllr Tim Pollard confirmed Croydon council will continue to accept comments re the provision of library services in Upper Norwood onUNJL.ENQUIRIES@croydon.gov.uk as part of (the) consultation.If you would like to support your library by asking Croydon to continue to fund our library or perhaps indeed encouraging them to invest more. The library campaign would definitely encourage you to email." 

A Campaign spokeswoman added: "And I would too. "It'll take you two minutes. "Go on, go on."

Read the full post here:


News from Crystal Palace: BASHFORD BROUGHT TO BOOK - UPDATE: BASHFORD BROUGHT TO BOOK - UPDATE   Cllr Sarah Bashford has lost the 'culture' part of her cabinet job in a reshuffle by Croydon coun...

www.unlc.or.uk

Upper Norwood Joint Library (UNJL) faces an uncertain future

The unilateral decision by Croydon Council to 'terminate' the Upper Norwood Library Joint Agreement was, according to Croydon, the direct consequence of a

 "...fundamental breach of the agreement by Lambeth Council". 

 Such breach, according to Croydon, was the refusal by Lambeth Council, 

"....to attend the last Annual General Meeting and failing to co-operate at the 2010 meeting."

Lambeth Council contend that it was in fact Croydon Council that breached requirements of the UNJL Agreement that each council should appoint two local ward councillors to the Library Committee, and that any disputes or disagreements should be referred for arbitration.

Croydon Council’s response was to despatch, without prior notification to Lambeth Council or the Library staff, nine council officers who announced they were taking "...interim management control", conducting Health and Safety, Human Resources and Internal Finances Audit, despite the UNJL being an independent library and not part of Croydon or Lambeth’s Centralised Library Service.

The UNJL’s independent status has enabled it to be 50% more efficient in cost terms, than Croydon and Lambeth’s library services.

Croydon have now given Lambeth three options. 

1. Buy Croydon’s half share of all UNJL assets and accept responsibility for the UNJL.
2.  Take a lease of Croydon's half share in the premises and become solely responsible for the UNJL.
3.  Agree that the library will be sold with the proceeds, after settlement of all costs, equally divided between the two boroughs.

Despite Croydon’s claimed support for the Upper Norwood Library, these options provide little reassurance for the future of the 111 year old Library. 

Following Croydon Council’s recent decision to privatise its entire library service, Crystal Palace Community Association (CPCA) has called a public meeting to provide an update on the situation and launch the next phase of the Library Campaign.

The public meeting will be held:

 Wednesday 30^th November

7.30 pm 

Salvation Army Hall

58 Westow St

Upper Norwood 

SE19 3AF

Google map and directions here

Useful links:

Crystal Palace Community Association
c/o 10 Jasper Road, London SE19 1SJ
tel/fax:  020 8670 4395
www.cpca.org.uk

Upper Norwood Library Campaign

5 Becondale Road SE19 1QJ

www.unlc.org.uk

The fight for libraries continues - Croydon and UNJL

Two letters appeared in last week's Croydon Advertiser.

Councillor Wayne Lawlor's letter makes the case that the appointment of Conservative Councillors is a betrayal of the wishes of local people, residents who elected Labour councillors as their representatives.

This is followed by a letter from Mike Warwick, Crystal Palace Community Association (CPCA), that sets out clear concerns regarding the stance taken by Croydon's Conservative-led Council and the possible motives behind this.

Political football - Upper Norwood Joint Library

Croydon Advertiser's The Insider made comment on the Upper Norwood Joint Library committee.  It seems that there is some history to the current stalemate over membership of the joint committee.  The article is not on line, as far as we are aware but you can read it here:

Controversy over Upper Norwood library committee

Controversy ensues over the decision taken by Croydon's Conservative-run council to appointment Conservative councillors to represent Croydon on the library committee, rather than Labour councillors who were elected by local residents in the area.

Lambeth councillors refused to attend the AGM of the joint committee meeting in protest against a breach of the rules.

 Crystal Palace Community Association claims that Croydon Council leader Mike Fisher is aware that he is obliged, under the terms of the joint library agreement, to appoint two opposition members to the committee. They go on to state,

"This would remove his ability to force through the sort of damaging measures that are being inflicted on Croydon's libraries, such as significant staff redundancies, reduced opening, privatisation or closure."

The full Croydon Guardian article is available on line here: Councillors boycott library committee over 'rule breach'