H&F Council Proposes Closing Borough Libraries. (Hammersmith and Fulham Liberal Democrats)

Hammersmith and Fulham Liberal Democrats <info@hflibdems.org.uk>

H&F Council Proposes Closing Borough Libraries.

August 11, 2010 7:00 AM

H&F Council is advertising a "consultation" seeking endorsement of its plans for the Borough's libraries. These include selling the Hammersmith Library building to developers, moving that service to another location, closing and relocating Sands End Library so that the Sands End community centre can be sold and closing the Barons Court Library, and the mobile Library.

The library closures are estimated to save about £ 300,000 (presumably per year?) and the consultation document suggests that up to £ 100,000 might be used to improve the facilities at Fulham Library. The remainder, and the proceeds of the building sales will go towards the Council's cost-cutting targets.

The Tory Council, having made unfunded cuts to Council tax in the run-up to the election, is now having to find the savings to pay for them.

The Hammersmith Library is a Carnegie Library, donated to the people of Hammersmith by benefactors. Residents are rightly concerned that the building should not be sold off for profit. Liberal Democrat and Hammersmith resident Miki Jablkowska says "We need to prevent the closure of this fine building for the sake of future readers. It is a beautiful building, one of the finest in Hammersmith, with a wonderful reference library on the first floor full of archive material. I visited the new Shepherds Bush Library and was appalled at the paucity of material."

Paul Kennedy of the Fulham Liberal Democrats said "it is scandalous that the Council's justification for closing Sands End Library includes the fact that Brompton Library in Chelsea is "only 1.7 miles" away. The Tories on the Council seem to think that everyone in the Borough can walk or drive or take a taxi to get services which should be provided locally"

http://www.citizenspace.com/local/lbhf/LibraryStrategyUpdate

In the notorious style of Ken Livingstone and his congestion charge consultations, the online forms appear designed to produce the desired outcomes, but some comment boxes are provided which allow peoples' views to be expressed