Lambeth Conservatives

After conjuring up fake libraries to fool the government inspector, Lambeth Council’s latest illusion is to make one of London’s oldest and best libraries disappear completely.  In its “Lambeth – Yours to Explore!” map, all Lambeth’s libraries are marked except Upper Norwood.

Gipsy Hill councillor Graham Pycock said:  “The library has been here for 110 years; how can Lambeth possibly lose it?”

On the Norwood version of this publicity document, West Norwood Library is praised as Norwood’s only library with Upper Norwood Joint Library receiving no mention.

Graham adds: “When I tackled the publicity department about this they implied that this was deliberate policy. I was told: -

‘However, although UNJL is funded by Lambeth and Croydon, it is not a recognised part of either borough’s statutory provision and as such it would be anomalous to infer that it was or advertise it in publicity that is specific to either borough, particularly because Lambeth has no input or responsibility for the policies or activities of the UNJL.’

“This is crackers. The library is a public service funded out of taxes and should be fully promoted.”

There is obvious resentment in Lambeth Council about Upper Norwood’s superb service and excellent performance figures.  The previous Conservative-Lib Dem administration in Lambeth between 2002 and 2006 saved the Upper Norwood Joint Library with a massive £55,000 increase in funding.  With Labour back in Lambeth, they have frozen the library’s budget again.  There was a crisis two years ago with threatened redundancies, but Croydon Council has been increasing its budget annually after years of neglect under Labour, so that there has been some improvement in security.

As the local councillors for the Upper Norwood Joint Library, Graham, Suzanne Poole and Andrew Gibson we have continued to press both councils to honour the joint agreement and restore full funding to the library.  Lambeth has refused each year since 2006 even an increase for inflation, but Conservative councillors continue to press for joint talks between the two councils to agree reliable funding while retaining the operational independence, which has served Upper Norwood Joint Library users so well.