#Bradmore Green Library

[insidecroydon]

Labour minister Bryant rejects public's pleas to save libraries

Closure opposition: parents, grandparents and youngsters at Bradmore Green Library yesterday, before it closed its doors for a final time Parents, grandparents and youngsters gathered at Bradmore Green Library yesterday, the council-run facility’s final day of operation. Bradmore Green, in Old Coulsdon, together with three other public libraries in Croydon – Sanderstead, Shirley and Broad Green –…

[insidecroydon]

No money, no plan, no honesty: Mayor still closing 4 libraries

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Residents, library campaigners and members of the council’s scrutiny committee have all seen through the council’s dodgy recommendations for reducing the borough’s library service. And with the council running at £42m over-budget for this year, further closures cannot be ruled out, reports STEVEN DOWNES Closure plan: Bradmore Green Library is a locally listed building that…

[insidecroydon]

Library Campaign's formal complaint to DCMS over Croydon

‘Paltry’ savings, 66% opposition to closure and still no costings or plan. Here is the text of The Library Campaign’s formal complaint about Croydon’s dodgy libraries consultation, as submitted today to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport This letter constitutes a formal complaint against the London Borough of Croydon (LBC) by The Library Campaign (TLC), acting on behalf of a…

[insidecroydon]

Council is reported to government for library report failures

Libraries correspondent GENE BRODIE on the latest twist in the long-running saga The cobbled-together, evidence-lite and contradictory report recommending the closure of four of the borough’s public libraries now faces a legal challenge – even before Croydon’s Mayor, Jason Perry, gets the wretched document rubber-stamped by his cabinet stooges later this month. Closure threat: Sanderstead is one…

[insidecroydon]

Perry's 'cruel closures' of one-quarter of borough's libraries

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Residents’ groups in the south of the borough accuse the Mayor, and the council, of not listening, and raise serious doubts about proposals to transfer maintenance funds to other areas. By our libraries correspondent, GENE BRODIE Facing the axe: Bradmore Green Library has one of the best value-for-money figures of all the borough’s libraries, but Tory Mayor Jason Perry wants…

[insidecroydon]

Legal battle expected as Perry to order four libraries to close

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Tory Mayor is about to rubber-stamp decision which was ridiculed by local Conservative MP as providing savings that represent ‘a drop in the ocean of the council’s debt’. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES Legal issues: the council lawyers claim that covenants over Shirley Library no longer apply. Conveniently Croydon Mayor Jason Perry will order the closure of four of the borough’s…

[insidecroydon]

Closing libraries is a sign of 'failed administration' - say Tories

Education correspondent GENE BRODIE on the ever-present threat to the borough’s public libraries, with a doom-laden, long-delayed council report expected next week Under threat: Sanderstead is one of four libraries that Mayor Jason Perry wants to close – backed by Tory MP Chris Philp At the council cabinet meeting to be held on September 25 (the first such meeting held by our hard-working…

[insidecroydon]

Selling off borough's public libraries is act of social vandalism

In his latest column, ANDREW FISHER, pictured right, looks for the real reasons behind closure plans and suggests that the Labour Government should be doing more to help struggling local authorities One of my favourite songs from the 1990s begins with the lyric, “Libraries gave us power”. It resonated with me, because I was an avid reader and libraries gave working-class kids like me access to a…

[insidecroydon]

Comic Kumar's message for Mayor over Shirley library closure

The likely closure of Shirley Library would be “a devastating blow” for local residents, according to comic and television presenter Nish Kumar. Shirley saviour: comic Nish Kumar has intervened over the fate of his childhood public library Kumar grew up in Shirley and used its public library, where borrowing books “fostered a lifelong love of reading in both myself and my brother”. Kumar has…

[insidecroydon]

More than 2,500 sign petition to save Sanderstead Library

A petition to keep Sanderstead Library open has attracted more than 2,500 signatures. Under threat: Croydon’s cash-strapped council wants to close Sanderstead Library and sell the site to developers Sanderstead is one of four libraries earmarked for closure as part of Mayor Jason Perry’s plans to “reorganise” Croydon’s library service. The petition demands that Croydon Council should “retain a…

[insidecroydon]

Time is running our to help save our threatened public libraries

CROYDON COMMENTARY: As the deadline approaches for the consultation on Tory plans to close or downgrade half the borough’s libraries, ELAINE GARROD seeks your support in responding to the council consultation I have always believed that having a local library is really important for everyone. Brought to book: Croydon Tories want to close or downgrade six of the borough’s 13 libraries When I was…

[insidecroydon]

£51,000pa saved on library won't touch council's £1.6bn debt

Three years ago, RICHARD PACITTI, pictured left, explained how to save the borough’s libraries. With half of Croydon’s public libraries once again under threat of closure or being down-graded, he’s back to make the case for a properly funded, essential service In March 2021, when our libraries were last under threat of closure, I wrote a piece for Inside Croydon describing what a terrible,…

[insidecroydon]

Raye's Coulsdon primary school pleads: 'Save Our Library!'

Under threat, again: schoolchildren, pensioners and other Old Coulsdon residents find themselves protesting against the closure threat in OLd Coulsdon once again this morning There was a huge turn out on World Book Day at Bradmore Green Library in Old Coulsdon this morning to protest against the Tory Mayor’s proposals to close the library. Residents and children are really upset at the threat to…

[insidecroydon]

'The council is dismantling our borough, service by service'

CROYDON COMMENTARY: The latest sham consultation over the closure of some of the borough’s libraries – with half under threat of being downgraded or shut forever – looks like the end-game to ALISON HUNT So there’s yet another consultation over the closure of certain libraries in the borough. Long-term fight: the battle to save Croydon’s libraries has been going on for so long that the…

[insidecroydon]

Short-notice Old Coulsdon library webinar betrays council plan

Under threat: Bradmore Green Library has one of the best value-for-money figures of all the borough’s libraries Plans to close or downgrade half the borough’s public libraries are being rushed through, as just three days’ notice of an event for Old Coulsdon residents demonstrates Croydon Council gave Old Coulsdon residents just three weekdays’ notice of a “webinar” being staged tonight where they…

[insidecroydon]

Sanderstead among four public libraries under threat of closure

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Up to seven of the borough’s libraries will close or be down-graded under Tory-run council’s plans – a decade after they last made similar proposals to flog off public assets. By STEVEN DOWNES Under threat again: Sanderstead Library, one of four public libraries the council wants to sell Croydon’s Tory Mayor, Jason Perry, wants to close four of the borough’s 13 public libraries…