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| Paul Lorber with Volunteer Library supporters and users |
The Committee is not quite as neutral as it sounds as it is peopled entirely by Brent Cabinet members Pavey, Denselow, Hirani, McLennan and Southwood. In essence it is a 'mini-Cabinet'.
The applicants who would pay £7,000 per annum for up to 15 years are Pivot Point Community Development Fund and the Friends of Barham Park Library.
The Trust's Property Adviser has recommended Pivot because of its strong record of community engagement but this needs to be set against the Friends of Barham Library who have been successful in running two community libraries in Sudbury and Wembley High Road and gaining support from the local community.
The full report is HERE.
Former Brent Liberal Democrat leader Paul Lorber has been an active member of the campaign against library closures since the closure decision was made by the Ann John administration and is a major force behind the Friends of Barham Library.
In the circumstances the Trust's decision will be under intense scrutiny for transparency and objectivity.
It appears Brent Council recognises the issues involved as this note on the Forward Plan indicates:
Decision maker: Barham Park Trust CommitteeDecision due: 8 Oct 2015Lead officer: Richard BarrettNotice of proposed decision first published: 30/09/2015
Reason for urgency:
It is impracticable to defer the decision until the usual Forward Plan period, i.e. 28 days, has expired because it was only recently decided that, in the interests of openness and accountability, the delegated authority given to the Property Advisor to the Trust Committee and the Chair of the Trust Committee to select a successful bidder should not be exercised and instead the decision should be made by the Committee itself. As it is in the best interests of the Trust and the prospective bidders that this decision is made as soon as possible, providing the full Forward Plan notice is impracticable.
