On Tuesday 20th February I attended the Croydon Libraries Consultation at the United Reformed Church on Sanderstead Hill and was back in the same building the following Tuesday for the Mayor’s Question Time when the library consultation was the first item on the agenda. There was a lot of concern about the proposal to close Sanderstead Library as part of a programme to improve Croydon’s library service as a whole, including greater outreach services which are certainly needed.
When the previous Labour administration proposed to close five libraries, including Sanderstead library, I submitted a representation on the reasons why Sanderstead’s library should not be closed. When the Labour administration decided on the fudge of trying to share lower resources over the whole library estate by having reduced hours in all but the Central Library, it was easy to predict that this would result in an unsatisfactory service, ‘lower performance’ and possible closures further along.
As someone who works fulltime it has been difficult to visit Sanderstead Library as it is no longer open on Saturdays. However, the data provided as part of the consultation demonstrates that Sanderstead Library bounced back from the Covid closures relatively well with few Croydon libraries exceeding Sanderstead’s all-round performance. It appears that only Central, Ashburton and Selsdon Libraries perform better in each of the three categories of total visits, total issues and costs per visitor.
Sanderstead library is a locally listed building which would benefit from revitalising and being made more accessible. I certainly remember with dread the difficulty of trying to go down the steep stairs to the toilets holding hands with a toddler and carrying a baby in my other arm and a changing bag over my shoulder. The large tree at the front is also protected so this is not an obvious development site. I understand that Sanderstead Resident’s Association has lodged a formal notification which has been accepted by the council that the building is an asset of community value.
At the meetings and ad-hoc conversations since, comments have been made that the library building is the only council-owned building in the ward. I’m also aware that other local services were reduced by the previous Labour administration, including a reduction in the offering provided by Purley Oaks Children Centre and the removal of the Sanderstead Access Point. I would therefore want to see a very strong proposal for how Sanderstead’s residents would gain from the proposed closure of the library.
The consultation welcomes suggestions and proposals on how the site could be better used to serve the local community and I would therefore strongly encourage anyone with ideas to contribute to the consultation to do so via this page: https://www.getinvolved.croydon.gov.uk/libraries-services-consultation
