News

11:11:13 pm Blackheath Village Library Under Threat

Categories: Events, Environment

Residents with long memories will recall the last attempt to close our library, in 1999. Local opposition managed to resist closure on that occasion.

Now, the Lewisham Public Accounts Select Committee proposes saving £860,000 in 2011-12 by shutting five libraries, including that in Blackheath Village. The proposals are on p13 of http://www.lewisham.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/75CFC698-9B19-49F2-9BC0-6A00E4B473D3/0/b2316da012594642b08ae433ad3d15cbItem4_Financial_Survey_And_Savings_Appendix1_130710.PDF

BVRG Position

The BVRG committee is opposed to the closure of the Village Library. It is a much-loved and much–used amenity for many local people, especially local children and those less able to make the trek to other libraries. Councillor Maines pointed out that this is Lewisham Council’s only presence in the Village, excluding schools.

Action

The BVRG committee has already met two of the three newly-elected councillors (Cllrs Maines & Bonavia; Cllr de Ryk had a prior engagement). There was general agreement that it was important to make opposition felt as early as possible. Many of our members have said to us that once there is a “consultation”, the decision has already been made.

The decision is ultimately one to be made by the Mayor, so we would encourage members to contact him (he has a website at http://www.mayorsteve.co.uk/ and his email address is steve.bullock@lewisham.gov.uk) and also your councillors and Heidi Alexander, the Lewisham East MP (website: http://www.heidialexander.org.uk/; email address: heidi.alexander.mp@parliament.uk). Please copy us at bvrg@bvrg.org.uk on any correspondence.

We asked the Councillors to obtain accounts and other information regarding the library, so that we can engage in constructive discussion with the council whilst maintaining our opposition to closure. We intend to work with other local organisations including the Blackheath Society and the library users' group, in addition to councillors and the MP.

What They Said Before The Election

Members will recall that, before the election, we put several questions to candidates, including their support or otherwise for the Village library (see our news entry here )

The question was:
“Many residents remember 1999, when the council attempted to close the Village library. Can you assure us that the Village library will remain open, and be adequately funded?”

Labour response

“Decisions about the future of Blackheath Library would ultimately be one for the Mayor of Lewisham to take but should we be elected as local representatives, we would want to see Blackheath Library remain open with adequate funds. We recognise that Blackheath is one of the busiest local libraries in the borough and that it fulfils an incredibly important role in our community – both educationally and recreationally. We are aware of no plans which would threaten the future of the library – should any plans emerge we would fight to protect this vital local service. Having recently attended a Blackheath Library User Group meeting, we are aware that many people would like to see improvements in the library – extended opening hours, better computer facilities and a lift to name just a few. We would like to explore the ways in which these improvements could be brought about”

LibDem response

“As with many decisions in Lewisham, the future of the Library lies with the Mayor. We have no plans to close any library, but should the library come under threat from another party, I would certainly fight to keep it open - I think community venues like libraries play a really important role in keeping communities connected. I've certainly enjoyed the art exhibitions at the library. Furthermore, as a former Lewisham teacher, libraries can be a very helpful resource, and a rare quiet space, for students to learn.

We also want to see the library network developed to meet modern demands. This would include improved ICT provision, better networks between libraries, and ensuring the book stock reflects local demand.”

Meetings This Week

Lewisham Council has not gone out of its way to publicise the proposed closure. The cuts are on the agenda for the Public Accounts Committe meeting at 7pm on 13th July in the Civic Suite, Catford. This is open to the public, but members of the public may not speak. The next day, 14th July at 6pm, the cuts are on the agenda for the Mayor's cabinet in the Civic Suite. Members of the public may speak at this meeting, but only if they have notified Kevin Flaherty on 020 8314 9327 beforehand. For more details see http://www.lewisham.gov.uk/CouncilAndDemocracy/CouncilMeetings/

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