Residents, including children, defend Kensal Rise library

Children outside Kensal Rise Library

Latest news on Kensal Rise library from the Harrow Observer:

KENSAL Rise Library is being protected by a crowd of passionate residents, some of whom stayed over night so that council workers could not board it up.

Around 100 people headed to the cherished Bathhurst Gardens building last night in a last ditch attempt to save it after a High Court ruling yesterday allowed the council to permanently close it, along with five others.
Residents started the peaceful protest at around 5pm, and soon found there was plenty of support from passers-by.

According to campaigners, council workers attempted to board up the building twice without success. Five protesters slept by the building all night to protect it, with council workers sleeping in a van nearby.

But the effort did not stop this morning. Residents are still protecting the library and intend to continue their efforts.

Protesters brought down boxes of books from their homes, saying that they were willing to 'continue the service' from outside.

Paula Gomez, the treasurer of the Brent SOS campaign, said: "It was all friendly, we were just trying to stop them from boarding up the library and that was very successful, there was a great atmosphere and everyone was cheering. They tried to board it up twice but we turned them away.

"We are bringing our own books to make sure the service continues outside, people have even been bringing back their books to return to the library. We are all very disappointed (about yesterday's High Court ruling) but this has really brought the community together, there are some pretty exceptional people here. We are just putting out the message that we want out services back."

Mrs Gomez said a lot of the protesters in the early evening were children, with many people walking past the powerful scene on their way back from work.

The six Brent libraries at the heart of the High Court ruling have already closed and will not re-open.
The Labour-run authority had shut the half a dozen branches - Barham Park, Cricklewood, Kensal Rise, Neasden, Preston and Tokyngton - in anticipation of the judgment being handed down in the case launched by Brent SOS Libraries.

Staff were briefed about the judgement and the council has now taken the decision to keep the doors locked permanently as they implement their delayed £1million saving plans with immediate effect.
Campaigners were denied the opportunity to appeal the judgement but are considering going to the Court of Appeal.

I Spy Queen's Park on libraries case

Excellent piece on library campaign and the High Court case on I Spy Queen's Park blog HERE

Updates from Library Campaigns

A picture that shames Brent Council

From Save Preston Libraries Campaign:

Dear All,

As you will probably have heard on the TV and radio news, our judicial review of Brent's library closure plan was dismissed in the High Court today. Below you can see the mailing sent out by the Cricklewood Library campaign which gives a report on the judgement. The judgement itself is attached. The Council has taken immediate action and closed the six libraries. 

An application for appeal against Mr Justice Ouseley's decision will be lodged with the Court of Appeal on behalf of the SOS Libraries claimants next week . To read a statement by the Campaign solicitors, Bindmans, and the press release issued by the Brent Save Our Six Libraries Campaign, go to our website at http://brentlibraries.wordpress.com/ .

The fund-raising activities planned to support the legal challenge and now the appeal will continue:

• MONDAY 17 Oct 2011 - STAND UP FOR LIBRARIES (Phil Jupitus, Robin Ince,  the legendary Robyn Hitchcock and others)

          Queens Park Community School Doors 6.30pm – show 7.30pm

• MONDAY 24 OCTOBER -Preston Pub Quiz - 7.30 for 8pm - Flyer will be circulated soon
• SATURDAY 19 NOVEMBER  - Disco at Mall Community Centre - more information soon

The judicial review was only one part of our campaign and, while we hope that an Appeal Judge will respond more positively, we also want the Government to fulfil their responsibility to ensure that Brent provides an adequate library service.

It is now more vital than ever to persuade the Secretary of State, Jeremy Hunt , to intervene in the Brent situation. It is absolutely vital you ALL write to Jeremy Hunt (at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport) and demand an enquiry. This could save our library, but it needs hundreds of letters and emails to be sent as soon as possible – they said they would make a decision by September, this hasn’t happened, so we still have time. Go to http://brentlibraries.wordpress.com/2011/08/12/appeal-to-the-government-now/ for Jeremy Hunt's email address and some ideas on what to put in your letter.

Dear  Cricklewood Library Supporter

1 High Court Judgement
Mr Justice Ouseley (fresh from his support of Basildon Council against the Dale Farm travellers yesterday ) handed down a pretty damning judgement dismissing the Brent SOS Libraries judicial review today. I suggest those who are going to read the attached judgement may consider having a glass of their favourite tipple nearby!

One of our legal team described it as the worst judgement they had experienced .As is usual the judge refused leave to appeal against his judgement stating that he did not believe there were significant points of law or national issues arising from the case.

He also refused any stay on Brent Council action - except that as he believed there  would not be time before any appeal, if allowed, for the Council to sell the library buildings, then libraries could be reinstated were SOS to be successful.


2 Application to the Court of Appeal

An application for appeal against Mr Justice Ouseley's decision will be lodged with the Court of Appeal on behalf of the SOS LIbraries claimants next week .

If agreed an appeal could take up to six months to be heard

3 Libraries
Immediately after the judgement all six libraries were closed by Brent Council - at Neasden shutters were pulled down and locked, Preston library is being boarded up by the Council and a similar boarding exercise was prevented at Kensal Rise by a crowd of children and their parents.Contractors threaten to return tomorrow to complete the boarding up

Cricklewood was also closed early and the standard notice posted on the door stating that the library would be closed until further notice - and directing callers to Harlesden or Willesden Green.


4 Next action

Discussions are ongoing with all Brent SOS Libraries campaigns - further information to follow

5 Monday 17 October - Queens Park Community School - 7pm

Stand Up For Libraries - Phil Jupitus,Alexei Sayle and others support the libraries campaign

Betrayal of library closures

From e-mail correspondence on libraries today:

The upsetting thing were the people who were utterly aghast at Neasden being shuttered. One young man - who spoke fluent Arabic, Farsi and Dutch, and who was desperate to improve his English, was appalled. He loves reading, lives in Neasden. Those are the people being betrayed.

Crowds defend Kensal Rise Library

From a Labour Party member:

There was some good coverage of Kensal Rise library on the BBC1 local news at 6.30pm (,last night). There has been a vigil outside the library and local schoolchildren explained why they oppose its closure.  I was there this evening and there were some very angry people - including local Labour members, who were asking how to deselect the local councillors who supported the closures.

Build on the commitment and perseverance of library campaigners

The old adage that "you don't value what you've got until you lose it" clearly does not apply to Brent library campaigners but it will surely hit home to many others who were not involved now that the Council has decided the six libraries will not re-open.

Of course it is mainly a matter of a place to read, enjoy and borrow books, educate yourself - but there's also so much more in terms of the social usefulness of a library as a provider of information, a place to meet, a safe public space in sometimes alienating areas, somewhere to relax and enjoy the company of your young children, a place where old people are welcome and not ghettoised.

As these community functions go they impact on the local area - everything else costs money: shops, betting shops, pubs, cafes - libraries were free and therefore open to everyone to use and enjoy.  Their demise marks another reduction in the social good of society, in cooperation and mutuality.

However although their loss represents a loss of mutuality and cooperation, the struggle against their loss shows how strong those values remain in our community, albeit not in our council representatives.  Whether an appeal goes ahead or not, or here it succeeds or not, we must continue to build on those values.

The upcoming Brent People's Assembly gives us precisely that opportunity.  I salute the Brent SOS Libraries campaigners for their commitment and perseverance in mounting one of Brent's largest and most energetic community campaigns and hope that they will join in with others in the numerous hard struggles ahead.

Library campaigners determined to appeal

The BBC quoted campaigner Margaret Bailey on the next steps:

Margaret Bailey, a spokesperson for the Brent Libraries SOS campaign, said: "We are obviously disappointed with the decision given by the judge today. We are determined to appeal."
She said: "We believe that there are important points of principle at stake which an appeal court will decide differently.

"Our campaign will redouble its efforts to expose the senselessness of Brent Council's decision to close half of its libraries.

"In the meantime, we demand that in light of the serious concerns raised by local residents, Brent will take the time before closing the doors of any library to properly consider the options proposed by local groups to preserve local library services, and open a dialogue with those groups to find constructive solutions for our communities.

"Brent Council has already spent over £70,000 of residents' money on this legal case and they should not waste any more money in pursuing a library closure policy that the vast majority of Brent residents oppose."

Paul Lorber, leader of the Liberal Democrats on the council, said: "We are determined to save our libraries in Brent irrespective of what the Labour administration is doing."

Shahrar Ali, Green Party GLA candidate for Brent and Harrow, said: "Let the People of Brent unite in their common endeavour to safeguard our community from this assault on our local libraries. We can despair, but we shall also regroup - with the same practical intelligence and determination we have already shown, to find a better way forward."

"This is a sad day for Brent; but also a day on which the Citizens of Brent who give a damn about lifelong education and protecting the vulnerable from abandonment should hold their heads up high. Just not in the High Court."
The Department for Culture Media and Sport said it was considering the judgement.

Brent Council: "Six libraries will not open again" but campaigner pledge to fight on

Brent Council has wasted no time! The Willesden and Kilburn Times reports that the council will close the six libraries threatened with closure immediately following the High Court decision:

Following Mr Justice Ouseley decision to dismiss a judicial review launched by campaigners challenging the proposals Brent Council revealed that Barham Park, Cricklewood, Kensal Rise, Neasden, Preston and Tokyngton library will never open their doors again.

Fiona Ledden, Brent Council’s director of legal services, said: “Following the decision from the High Court the six libraries in question will not open again.”

The  Evening Standard reports:

Campaigners were set to learn later today whether they will be given permission to appeal. In a statement issued by Brent SOS Libraries Campaign, campaigners said: "We are obviously disappointed with the decision given by the judge today.

"We will be consulting with our lawyers on our legal options. We are determined to appeal if allowed to do so. We believe there are important points of principle at stake which an Appeal Court will decide.

"Our campaign will redouble its efforts to expose the senselessness of Brent Council's decision to close half of its libraries."