MOTION ON LIBRARIES TO BE DEBATED IN FULL COUNCIL
The following motion is due to be debated at tomorrow night’s full Lambeth council meeting:
Motion 3: Councillor Tim Briggs (Conservative opposition leader):
This council believes that it has a duty to keep Lambeth libraries open as libraries to serve the
whole community, and in so doing to continue to fulfill the requirement under which many of
them were gifted to the Borough.
Amendment 1: by Cllr Jane Edbrooke (Cabinet member for neighbourhoods whose remit includes libraries):
This council:
– Believes that it has a duty to keep maintain Lambeth libraries open as libraries to a
comprehensive library service under the 1964 Public Libraries and Museums Act
to serve the whole community, and in so doing to continue to fulfill the requirement
under which many of them were gifted to the Borough.
– Welcomes the Culture 2020 proposal passed by Cabinet in October that protects
the town centre libraries at Brixton, Streatham, West Norwood, Clapham and
Durning or Tate South Lambeth (subject to further consultation) and maintain a
comprehensive library service throughout the borough.
– Welcomes that the opening hours of all our Town Centre Libraries, which are well
serviced by transport links, will be maintained or increased. These 5 libraries
represent almost 80 per cent of all activity in our libraries.
– Welcomes that the Council will maintain the vital home delivery service,
supporting our most vulnerable residents
– Regrets that the Government, supported by Lambeth Conservatives, has slashed
the Council’s budget by 56%, causing unavoidable changes our services
– Notes that hundreds of libraries across the country have been forced to close due
to Government cuts
– Welcomes the fact that the Culture 2020 plan maintains a library service at Minet,
Carnegie, Tate South Lambeth and Upper Norwood Joint Libraries – though this is
regrettably a reduced service.
– Welcomes the provision of a temporary replacement library service for Waterloo
library at the nearby Oasis Centre whilst we work with them on their proposals for
a new site
– Welcomes the long-term commitment to a new North Lambeth library
– Thanks the community groups; Upper Norwood Joint Library Trust and local
charity Oasis who have all stepped up in difficult financial circumstances to
develop and deliver new models and ways of delivering library services. These
will commence in April 2016.
(The motion and amendment are on pages 60 / 61 of the agenda)
