Preston Library wins 3 month licence extension and Council community library strategy

 Statement by Cllr Butt  (Leader) & submissions by Cllrs Harrison, Hossain & Warren*



Submissions by Michael Rushe & Philip Bromberg, statements by Cllr Pavey & Cllr Southwood*
 


Cabinet discussion and decision

Brent Cabinet agreed to a 3 month extension of Preston Community Library's licence tonight to enable the Council to formulate a Community Library Strategy which would cover all Brent community libraries. The situation will be reviewed in January 2017.

The Cabinet was addressed by Michael Rushe of SKPPRA and Philip Bromberg of Preston Community Library. They presented a closely argued evidence based case for the continuation of the library and for rejection of the officers' report.

Cllrs Harrison and Hossain, Preston ward councillors, spoke on behalf of the library with Harrison calling for the Council to keep its promises to the Preston volunteers. Hossain spoke of the library's key role in facilitating a place for the area's diverse community to meet and socialise.

Cllr Pavey, lead member for Stronger Communities and Libraries rejected the report's terminology of a 'pop up library' to describe Preston Community Hub.  The bookcase at Willesden Green station was a 'pop up' - Preston with its shelves of books, classes and cinema was much more than that. He argued for the primacy of social value in any procurement process rather than financial value. The financial equivalent of the volunteers' efforts should be included in a calculation of social value. Pavey suggested that in any design for the new building the library space shoudl come first and the flats second.

Cllr Muhammed Butt said that the group, if it got part of the redeveloped building, would  not be expected to pay the £51,000 commercial rent mentioned in the officers' report but he did not specify a peppercorn rent either.

He emphasised that he did not want to be in a conflict situation with the volunteer libraries but wanted to work with them. The libraries complemented the six Brent Council libraries and did not replace them.

During the discussion it was clarified that the report granted the Council permission to start a dialogue with the owner of the garage neighbouring the site about possible purchase to develop the garage's corner plot alongside the library. No approach had been made as yet.

There was a cautionary note from Gail Tolley, Strategic Director for Chldren and Families. She said that although the possible provision of a Primary Pupil Referral Unit on the library site was being dealt with separately and there were enough spaces for Reception pupils in the area, the Council were still getting 'in year' demand from families moving into the area from other parts of London, the UK or elsewhere. There was particular pressure on Years 3 and 4. There was no way of predicting the numbers or age groups of children who would arrive between now and next July.  More would be known by the end of the 3 month period,  in terms of the possible use of the site for bulge classes for those children,  but beyond that was still unpredictable.

* Video date should be September 13th NOT August 13th. The hottest September day for a century got me confused!

Brent library campaigns alive & kicking for National Libraries Day tomorrow

National Libraries Day tomorrow will see indefatigable campaigners marking the day and continuing their fight.

The Save Kensal Rise Library website  LINK announces:

National Libraries Day Saturday 8th February, 11am at Kensal Rise Pop Up Library

The community will be out in force to repair and get re-established, the Kensal Rise Pop Up library and to help celebrate National Libraries Day.

An opportunity to show that you love libraries including the Pop Up.

Bring balloons, ribbons, cakes, drinks, and energy.

A great chance for the community to come together and show  we will not let the pop up spirit be destroyed.

Barham Library campaigners are holding this event:

 

 

 and Preston Library campaigners this one:

National Libraries Day Saturday 8th February, 11am at Kensal Rise Pop Up Library

The community will be out in force to repair and get re-established, the Kensal Rise Pop Up library and to help celebrate

National Libraries Day.

An opportunity to show that you love libraries including the Pop Up.

Bring balloons, ribbons, cakes, drinks, and energy.

A great chance for the community to come together and show  we will not let the pop up spirit be destroyed.

- See more at: http://www.savekensalriselibrary.org/#sthash.ljWZEzpu.dpuf

National Libraries Day Saturday 8th February, 11am at Kensal Rise Pop Up Library

The community will be out in force to repair and get re-established, the Kensal Rise Pop Up library and to help celebrate

National Libraries Day.

An opportunity to show that you love libraries including the Pop Up.

Bring balloons, ribbons, cakes, drinks, and energy.

A great chance for the community to come together and show  we will not let the pop up spirit be destroyed.

- See more at: http://www.savekensalriselibrary.org/#sthash.ljWZEzpu.dpuf

National Libraries Day Saturday 8th February, 11am at Kensal Rise Pop Up Library

The community will be out in force to repair and get re-established, the Kensal Rise Pop Up library and to help celebrate

National Libraries Day.

An opportunity to show that you love libraries including the Pop Up.

Bring balloons, ribbons, cakes, drinks, and energy.

A great chance for the community to come together and show  we will not let the pop up spirit be destroyed.

- See more at: http://www.savekensalriselibrary.org/#sthash.ljWZEzpu.dpuf

The community will be out in force to repair and get re-established, the Kensal Rise Pop Up library and to help celebrate

National Libraries Day.

An opportunity to show that you love libraries including the Pop Up.

Bring balloons, ribbons, cakes, drinks, and energy.

A great chance for the community to come together and show  we will not let the pop up spirit be destroyed.

- See more at: http://www.savekensalriselibrary.org/#sthash.2g8VvgEh.dpuf

The community will be out in force to repair and get re-established, the Kensal Rise Pop Up library and to help celebrate

National Libraries Day.

An opportunity to show that you love libraries including the Pop Up.

Bring balloons, ribbons, cakes, drinks, and energy.

A great chance for the community to come together and show  we will not let the pop up spirit be destroyed.

- See more at: http://www.savekensalriselibrary.org/#sthash.2g8VvgEh.dpuf

Reprise: The Battles of Kensal Rise and Preston Libraries

I thought that after today's news it was worth playing these videos again. Respect to the Kensal Rise and Preston campaigners and those from Barham and other libraries.

Civic Centre: Thank you Brent Labour...

I thought readers might appreciate this  posted on Save Preston Library Facebook  page earlier today. Brent Green Party has been raising questions about the £100,000,000 plus cost of the new grandiose Civic Centre for several years now. The prime site is adjacent to Wembley Arena and Wembley Stadium which will make the Civic Centre Public Library unusable by the public on event days.

 To be fair the project was mooted under the previous Lib Dem-Conservative administration and agreed at the time by Labour. There have been doubts expressed by all three major parties since, at various times, usually during elections, but the project (championed by ex Chief Executive Gareth Daniel) lived on.

Join in carols with library campaigners

Tireless campaigners continue to keep the libraries issue live over the Christmas period with a number of events.

Campaigners mark first anniversary of Preston Library closure

Today was the first anniversary of the closing of six of Brent's libraries. This video is a record of Preston Library Campaigners' celebration:

Preston Library Garden reclaimed by campaigners

In an expression of love and care for their closed down library, Save Preston Library campaigners restored the garden in front of the building over the weekend. The building is soon to be used to provide extra classrooms for reception pupils and will be managed by nearby Preston Park Primary School. Coincidentally campaigners were also doing a spot of guerilla gardening in the children's playground at Willesden Green Library Centre which is due to disappear if the planning application for flats and a 'cultural centre' are approved this summer.

Council confusion over library 1.5 mile claim

Following Brent Council's correction of the oft-repeated claim that no resident is further than 1.5 miles from a library which left the impression that the original quote was based on all libraries, including those that have now closed, a Brent Council spokeswoman seems to muddy the waters again. It appears they were including libraries in other boroughs.

She is quoted HERE on London24, the Archant Group's website:

The Brent Council spokeswoman said it was “nonsense” that the council has been misleading anyone.

She said: “It is true that everyone living in the borough is no more than a mile and a half from a library, either in Brent or a neighbouring borough, and many residents choose to use a library in another borough. This was clearly explained in the proposals.’’

It looks like we'll have to all get out our measuring sticks. Could it be that Brent is measuring it 'as the crow flies' rather than actual walking distance?

The Long March to Kingsbury Library Plus

Library campaigners from a few months old to people in their 80s took part in a long march from South Kenton to Kingsbury Road today to demonstrate how far they had to go to a library now that Preston Library has been closed. Liberal  Democrat and Conservatives councillors were on the march along with Green Party candidates and dissident members of Brent Labour Parry but the majority of people were simply residents furious at losing their valued local library and incensed at how they have been treated by Brent Council.

The march took about an hour, excluding a short refreshment stop.  As one of the slower ones said, "By the time we get there our books will be overdue!"

International solidarity at South Kenton

Pause at the boarded up Preston Library 'Wall of Shame'

A message for councillors on the 'Wall of Shame'

Children are one of the groups most affected by the closures

We stopped for refreshments....

...and caught up on the latest campaign news

Even the famous suburban privet came out in sympathy!

Kingsbury Library at the end of the long march

When we got to the Kingsbury Library some campaigners popped in to look at the facilities. Many were surprised by how small it was and it certainly looked crowded with just the addition of a few of us. One campaigner fondly remembered the 'long table' at Preston Road library which fostered conversations and community solidarity.

A mother with two young sons said it just didn't feel like her 'local library'. At Preston she had known all the staff and felt comfortable to let her children explore the library without close supervision. She had known most of the users by sight.  Localism and feelings of safety and ease would be missing if she had to use this library.

The Transport for London Journey Planner gives two routes from South Kenton to Kingsbury Library Plus. The first is a train to Kenton and then a 183 bus and the other a 223 bus to Wembley Park and then the Jubilee line to Kingsbury. Not exactly user friendly.

Pub Quiz to Raise Library Campaign Funds

Click on image to enlarge

A Message from Save Preston Library Campaign

Many thanks to those of you who asked to speak last night at the council meeting, where the executive hoped to vote through the disposals of the six library properties.

I was invited on Wednesday last week to speak at the exec tonight.

I wasn't sure what it was about, but further enquiries revealed that the sale of Preston Library for development (together with Tokyington, for a total "in excess of £1,000,000") was on the agenda.

The disposals of the other four libraries, including Neasden, which has disgracefully already been put on the market, with flagrant disregard for due legal process, was also on the agenda.

Of course, once alerted to the under-the-radar sales plan, library users asked to be represented at last night's exec meeting.

Having received a flood of requests at the weekend to speak about the premature plans to sell the properties, it was decided ONE AND A HALF HOURS before the meeting to withdraw the proposals at this meeting.

Had this not this not happened, Brent is likely to have started the £50,000 marketing campaign for Preston and Tokyngton.

So thank you so much for making your voices heard, on behalf of the thousands of people who signed our petition, and on behalf of the thousands of Preston Library users who can't or won't, for whatever reason.

Samantha Warrington

Embattled Brent Executive Delays Library Disposal Decision

Leader of the Council, Ann John, tonight withdrew the Asset Strategy for the disposal of vacated libraries from the Executive Agenda. She said that this was because of the proximity of the judicial review and  councillors were constrained on what they could say about the issue. Campaigners thought it was withdrawn because the Executive had thought they could slip it thought unnoticed but word spread quickly over the weekend with the Council inundated with many requests to speak today.

The Save Preston Library's 5,897 signature petition opposing any sale or redevelopment of the Preston Library site that does not include a Brent public library, will now be presented at the August Executive when the item is discussed - unless of course campaigner's win the judicial review in which case it will be irrelevant.

Brent Libraries : a demolition job

The Save Preston Library Campaign has issued the following ahead of Tuesday's Court Case

Brent Council’s executive is to meet tonight to vote on disposals of half of its library properties AHEAD of a High Court hearing to decide whether its library closures are lawful.

In the first legal challenge against library closures in the country, Brent library users’ case against the council will be heard in the High Court on Tuesday and Wednesday.

But in an extraordinary show of contempt for due legal process, the council intends to press on with the sales – and will vote on disposals on Monday night, the eve of the High Court hearing.


John Halford of Bindmans LLP, Helen Mountfield QC, Gerry Facenna and Edward Craven will argue that the council adopted a fundamentally flawed and unlawful, approach to the objective of making savings because it:

• STARTED from the false premise that library closures were an inevitability, closing its mind to reasonable alternatives

• FAILED to assess local need

• FAILED to comply with equality legislation, and its own impact assessment policies

• FAILED to disclose its criteria, and reasons, for rejecting alternative community-based means of retaining some or all of the libraries earmarked for closure.

This is a landmark case for library closures, and will define the view taken by the courts in the many legal actions that are waiting to go ahead up and down the country.  Cases from Gloucestershire and the Isle of Wight will be heard by the end of the year.

John Halford argues that the decision will have “serious, irreversible consequences” for those who rely on the six libraries.

“Given the importance of the decision for local people, the council was obliged to explore all the options carefully and make sure that it had accurate evidence about the likely impact of the decision, in particular on disadvantaged groups. If the council had approached the matter with an open mind and avoided the errors above, the outcome of the decision-making process could have been radically different.”

On the same day that Rupert Murdoch is grilled by the media select committee, this libraries hearing could heap further embarrassment on Secretary of State Jeremy Hunt, who has so far refused to intervene under the Museums and Libraries Act 1964, despite hundreds of complaints from residents and letters from Brent North MP Barry Gardiner.

This case exposes fundamental failings at Brent, which claims it needs to save £1m over two years from the libraries service, but continues to spend millions on trophy projects such as the new £100m Civic Centre at Wembley Stadium with its £3m mega-library.

Council leader Ann John has boasted of council investment in a £4m boulevard that will be created to lead visitors from Wembley Park Tube station to Wembley Stadium.

And at the same time Brent Council is spending between £1.2m and £1.5m PER MONTH on “consultants fees”.

Preston campaigners are acutely aware that the closure and sale of their library is not driven by efficiency, as Brent Council claims, but the need to push users to the new Civic Centre library (to create demand where none exists) and to increase capital receipts to pay for the project.

The outcome of the case could mean the council halting the closure programme and restarting the decision-making process.

Library Campaign moves into top gear - more than half cash target met

A message from Brent SOS Libraries:

With another six  members joining our six month old Save Cricklewood Library Campaign last night and a visit from the Tokyngton Library campaign (who have submitted a 670 signature petition to Brent Council this week) I cannot remember a bigger  or more active Brent campaign in my 30+ years of living in this fantastic  diverse borough. Can anyone else? We are swamped with fundraising events, volunteers, supportive authors and have six very lively local campaigns underway .

We are now close to the legal hearing, which the Council is insisting is heard in July. This is our final push to raise money - together we are over half way to our £30,000 target .Many thanks to all those who have helped and attended recent events,donated books etc.

Can you help with one more push ?

1 Selling Garden Party Tickets - meet  at Cricklewood Library -MONDAY 27 June at 6.30pm

Join Anna, Edward and other supporters in a final push to sell Garden Party tickets door-to -door - at £5 it is a bargain and we only have 72 tickets left

2 Garden Party   Sunday 3 July   121 Anson Road  3-5pm

Tea, cakes and a beautiful garden - what more could you want ?

Come and meet Helen and the Save Cricklewood team - a must for your social calendar

3 Wear your T shirt with pride

Brent SOS Libraries T-shirts will be available from 30 June - just ring or text me on 07866616492 and I will deliver .Beautifully designed in tasteful red and white - certain to be this years fashion item.Only £10 each .

How many do you want? (only large available - but good for snuggling up with a book in  )

4 Philip Pullman

Yes the record -selling author is coming to speak soon in support of Brent SOS LIbraries.

Provisional date ( to be confirmed) 20th July at Queens Park Community School 

5 Preston Quiz - Monday 4 July

Return of the popular quiz - can Cricklewood go one better and win this time? Just turn up at 7.30pm at the Preston Pub, Preston Road .

6 Cricklewood Music Night

Tapping into the local classical musical talent Sonja is organising a musical evening later in July - contact sonjarobin@hotmai.com

7 Any more books ?

We still need book donations l Just let me know and I will collect .There is a picture of Sonja at our Glastonbury bookstall in the local paper this week

8 Protest and Survive

Soon we will be staging a peaceful protest at the court as the library hearing commences - watch this space.


Graham Durham