On Friday I participated in the library consultation exercises at both Sanderstead and Purley libraries with Cllr Hopley in Sanderstead and Cllr Brew in Purley. Purley Oaks & Riddlesdown does not have its own library so access to our 2 nearest libraries is a vital resource.
Earlier this year the Council ran another consultation that sought to reduce costs by closing 5 libraries, including Sanderstead. Of course, residents were quick to state why this would not be acceptable. However, the real reason why this idea was parked by the Council was that it subsequently realised that the proposed savings could not be made by closing the 5 libraries. It beggars belief that no one thought to get a calculator out a little bit earlier to work out the numbers. They did however manage to find a huge amount of Community Infrastructure Levy to fund the opening of a library in the north of Croydon – probably funded by the developments happening in Purley and Riddlesdown at the moment.
Phase two of the consultation now offers three choices
- Reduce service hours by 21% across the borough
- Outsource all libraries
- Hybrid – reduction in service hours (two days per week) to eight libraries and five community run libraries
The first option means that Sanderstead and Purley Libraries will be open for just 2 days per week, I don’t believe this is sufficient to allow everyone who could benefit from using a library to do so but the consultation is framed in such way that no one really understands what the 2nd and 3rd options entail. I asked which 2 days the libraries would be open. There would not be a way, for example, to say that we want one of those days to be a weekend to broaden access to those who work or study during the week. We are just told that there would be access somewhere in the south of the Borough on each day, excluding Sundays.
Full details of the consultation are here: https://getinvolved.croydon.gov.uk/project/695
You can
- complete the online survey by 26th July
- request a paper copy from any Croydon library
- email [email protected] and return it by 21 July 2021.
