CARNEGIE LIBRARY HERNE HILL – JUST ONE INDEPENDENT ASSESSOR ON ‘PANEL’
There is just ONE independent assessor on a panel deciding which of two groups gets to run the Carnegie library, Herne Hill, News From Crystal Palace can reveal.
In response to a Freedom of Information request Lambeth council said: “The independent assessor that has been invited to form part of the panel making the decision on the asset transfer for the Carnegie library building is Emily Berwyn from Meanwhile Space.
“Price Waterhouse Coopers (PWC) have undertaken the technical assessment of the two business cases.”
Two CIO’s – Community Interest Organisations – have applied to Lambeth council to take over the running of the Carnegie librarty in Herne Hill.
One is the secretive Carnegie Community Trust whose five trustees – apparently self-elected – include two former Lambeth Labour councillors.
The other is the Carnegie Library Association which is run by an elected committee of trustees, including representatives of library user groups and of the Friends of Carnegie Library.
The general feeling among the people – or community – of Herne Hill is that the Labour-dominated Carnegie Community Trust – will get Lambeth’s seal of approval, even though Lambeth said they had appointed (unnamed) independent assessors to consider the two applications.
Meanwhile Space’s website describes itself as: “Meanwhile Space CIC is the pioneering social enterprise at the forefront of ‘meanwhile uses’.
“As the market leader in Meanwhile uses since 2009, Meanwhile Space designs innovative Meanwhile® solutions to vacant commercial space, working across sectors to deliver Meanwhile projects and strategies, operate affordable workspace, and deliver longer term Meanwhile developments.
“The company first defined the term as the ‘intelligent use of unproductive empty buildings and underused land’ and outlined the benefits to communities, landlords and occupants as deliverers of the 2009-10 central government Meanwhile Project.”
Further reading: Cutting costs the Lambeth Council way April 19, 2016 GWOMP website
