THE ANNUAL meeting of Upper Norwood library joint committee ended in chaos AGAIN last night (Thursday) - after Lambeth councillors boycotted it.

Croydon's four Conservative Cabinet nominees had all turned up for the meeting in the library on Westow Hill.

But when Croydon's culture chairman Cllr Sarah Bashford told more than 60 people who had turned up they would wait ten minutes for the four Lambeth councillors, Crystal Palace Comunity Association chairman John Payne told her he had received an e-mail that afternoon saying they (Lambeth) would not be attending.

After the committee meeting was abandoned because it was 'not quorate' and the Croydon councillors and two officers had left, a second informal meeting followed - where people were told that Lambeth councillors had boycotted the meeting on the grounds that any decision taken would have been open to a legal challenge in the courts.

At the cente of the dispute is a committee decision taken in 2006 which agreed that two local ward councillors from Croydon and Lambeth should sit on the eight-strong committee. (see below).

The meeting heard that John Payne, a library campaign committee member, fellow CPCA committee member Mike Warwick and library campaign secretary Pam Gray,  had taken professional advice.

They had been told that if the meeting had proceeded on the basis of having four Croydon councillors, none of whom represented local wards, sitting on it then any decision would have been unlawful and any meeting would not be properly constituted and any decision/s taken would be unlawful and subject to legal challenge.

Solomon Agutu, described by Cllr Bashford as Croydon's legal adviser, had earlier said: "This is a legal agreement and Mike Fisher( Croydon council leader) has responded to a lot of questions about the issue in detail.

"It's important that people who wish to challenge the legality of the agreement should do it in the right place and no here. "It's incumbent upon them to raise it through the courts. "This meeting is not designed to give legal guidance. "For that reason I'd prefer not to discuss the legalities." (Mr Agutu left along with the Croydon councillors)

Mr Payne told the informal meeting: "What we have seen tonight is a travesty for those people who value this library."

One angry lady who left as the committee meeting was abandoned told councillors.  "I didn't realise the political debate I'd be getting myself into. "I can't believe I'm wasting my time listening to it."

The mother-of-two, who declined to give her name, told me: "I came to support the library."

NOTE: For the background stories see 'Library meeting to end in chaos?" and the report from the committee's last annual meeting in July 2010: "'Council committee ends in chaos."
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"Money gets wasted on corporate spend" - library campaign chairman 

"UPPER NORWOOD LIBRARY 40 PER CENT CHEAPER TO RUN THAN OTHERS"

Upper Norwood library is about 40 per cent cheaper to run than any other library, Joe Figuero - chairman of the library campaign - told the informal meeting.

"If they followed the model for this library around the country they would not have to get rid of librarians. "They would have lots of books on their shelves.

"Money gets wasted on corporate spend. "This library is not liked. "It's an example where you can protect libraries, can protect services.

"In this library every single member of staff meets the public."

Mr Figuero's comments came  after a report which would have been considered by councillors revealed that Upper Norwood joint library costs far less to run on average than any library in either Lambeth or Croydon boroughs:

1: Inclusive average net cost per site:
Upper Norwood: £397,483
Croydon: £628,442 per site (13 sites)
Lambeth: £647,664 per site (11 sites)

2: Inclusive cost per issue:
Upper Norwood: £2.96
Croydon: £5.94
Lambeth: £8.83

3: Inclusive cost per visit:
Upper Norwood £2.28
Croydon: £4.00
Lambeth: 5.56

4: Net cost per 1,000 residents excluding capital charges:
Upper Norwood: £12,640
Croydon: £23,832*
Lambeth: £25,147*
(*These figures include the Croydon and Lambeth residents who are served by the joint library)

Pam Gray told the informal meeting that on a number-crunching issue Lambeth could save all the money they needed to by using the Upper Norwood model in Lambeth.

"I suspect it's led by officers and they haven't got the guts to do that" she added.

Pam Gray emphasised that Lambeth have been very supportive of Upper Norwood library and that there are people in Lambeth who recognise how valuable the library is.".