“TIME FOR RESIDENTS OF UPPER NORWOOD TO TAKE LIBRARY TRUST SERIOUSLY” – Cllr responds to Norwood Society chairman’s letter
It is time for the residents of Upper Norwood to take the library trust seriously, buckle down and commit to make it a real success, says Croydon council’s cabinet member for culture.
“It means organisations in Upper Norwood switching their meeting venues, it means looking at other projects and seeing how they can dovetail in to make the library trust work” Cllr Timothjy Godfrey told News From Crystal Palace.
“This is one magnificent opportunity for the whole area.”
Cllr Godfrey’s comments to NFCP follow an email response to Norwood Society chairman Richard Lines. (See: “LIBRARY WILL NOT SURVIVE ON £100,000 A YEAR” WARNS NORWOOD SOCIETY CHAIRMAN – “Closure would be disaster for local community” – March 17, 2015
In his reply to Mr Lines Cllr Godfrey said: “It can be both a professional library and be a hub for many other community activities if it is properly supported.
“We at the council are fully committed to the Upper Norwood library, but it must be based on a sensible partnership approach that maximises the available library budget” adds Cllr Godfrey.
“If good times return for Local government we will be able to fund libraries more generously, but until they do we will be pursuing partnerships, like in Upper Norwood, for our Libraries.
“I fully expect an independently run library in Upper Norwood to make better use of the building for far longer hours.
“For instance it could convert the first floor into meeting rooms or cinema screens and get an income from there. “It could also look at the use of the basement and the car park.
“The main floor of the library could also be better used and new libraries utilise shelving on wheels to make the main library floor a multi purpose facility for community meetings, talks etc.”
CLLR GODFREY’S LETTER IN FULL:
I am afraid I have a positive view of library provision for Upper Norwood that although presents a difficult funding position does safeguard a library service in Upper Norwood for at least the next three years and will allow those three years for the trust to develop and prove itself a long term partner in running the library as a core community asset.
We have to live in our means as a council and we have suffered £100million cuts from the Conservative led government over the last four years and they plan the same again if re-elected.
Our election pledge was very specific and we pledged to ‘match fund’ Lambeth. We did this purposefully so that we would end the bad relations between the two authorities and re-build the Croydon commitment.
Lets be clear, if the Conservatives had won the local elections, they would have ceased the grant to Upper Norwood library and looked to sell the valuable building.
If good times return for local government we will be able to fund libraries more generously, but until they do we will be pursuing partnerships, like in Upper Norwood, for our libraries. I fully expect an independently run library in Upper Norwood to make better use of the building for far longer hours.
For instance it could convert the first floor into meeting rooms or cinema screens and get an income from there. It could also look at the use of the basement and the car park.
The main floor of the library could also be better used and new libraries utilise shelving on wheels to make the main library floor a multi purpose facility for community meetings, talks etc.
It is time for the residents of Upper Norwood to take the library trust seriously, buckle down and commit to make it a real success. It can be both a professional Library and be a hub for many other community activities if it is properly supported.
We at the council are fully committed to the Upper Norwood library, but it must be based on a sensible partnership approach that maximises the available library budget.
I look forward to the trust demonstrating how it can bring a refreshed approach to library provision over the long term. Three year funding is probably unique for a library in the current situation and that demonstrates our real commitment to make this trust work.
