LIBRARIES: LAMBETH CULTURAL BOARD
As we’ve previously reported, Lambeth council want to turn three libraries into gyms (or healthy living centres as Lambeth insist on calling them) with some sort of book borrowing service available in a deal with Greenwich Leisure.*
News From Crystal Palace has been delving into some of the background of this hugely controversial issue and came across the following:
From Lambeth council’s Overview and Scrutiny committee November 10th 2015 where (Cllr Scott Ainslie (Green party) asked many, many questions about the report to the council cabinet meeting of October 2015 relating to Culture 2020:
Scott Ainslie: The role and composition of the proposed ‘Cultural Trust’, and its relation to GLL (Greenwich Leisure) is unclear. The report does not establish the proposed trust.
Lambeth: An options appraisal and business case will need to be undertaken first, which is unlikely to be concluded until 2017-18 at the earliest. The trust proposal does not prevent the remainder of the Culture 2020 recommendations from being implemented.
The board, powers and structures will be subject to further negotiations with GLL. The remainder of the proposals set out in the Culture 2020 report are not dependent upon the board being established.
Scott Ainslie (SA): There are several important unanswered questions about the governance of the Lambeth Cultural Board (the proposed creation of which has not been the subject of any consultation) which include:
SA: Will the Board have a separate legal personality from GLL? Lambeth: No.
SA: What will be the legal status of the Board? Lambeth: The initial proposal is that the board will form a steering group within the existing GLL business governance structure. GLL is a social enterprise and registered charity.
NOTE: The report to the cabinet meeting held at Dunraven school in October 2015 included the following:
4.7 Initial membership of the Lambeth Cultural Board will be drawn from Lambeth council, Greenwich Leisure and London Community Foundation. Additional membership will also be sought from Lambeth health providers, Lambeth College and the Southbank Quarter.
4.8 ……The Lambeth Cultural Board will be operational in the first quarter of 2016. The board (and subsequently the Trust if constituted) will be leased three buildings with relevant break clauses which will enable them to be converted into Healthy Living Centres that will also host a neighbourhood library service.
*Search ‘Lambeth Libraries’ or ‘Greenwich leisure’ on this website.
