A PUBLIC MEETING aimed at forming a new independent committee to watch over Upper Norwood joint library is planned for next Wednesday (November 30th).

The meeting at the Salvation Army centre has been called against a background of rising anger at Croydon council's behaviour with:

*an email dated November 10th from Croydon's culture committee chairman Cllr Sarah Bashford revealing that discussions ARE "ongoing" between Croydon and Lambeth - although a letter from Croydon's chief executive dated the previous day indicates Croydon are sticking to ther guns (see separate story)

*The Labour group pledging to reinstate the joint agreement if it regains control of Croydon council in 2014 - or before. Libraries in Croydon borough would then be run using the Upper Norwood model;

Details of the meeting emerged at the annual meeting of UNIT - Upper Norwood Improvement Team - held at the Phoenix centre on Westow Street on Thursday.

Mandy Sciberras of the newly formed Gipsy Hill Residents Association, who is organising the meeting on behalf of the Upper Norwood Library Campaign, said the idea would be for two representatives from Gipsy Hill ward in which the library stands to sit on the committee - along with one representative from the other four wards - South Norwood (Croydon) Upper Norwood (Croydon) College ward (Southwark) and Crystal Palace ward (Bromley)  

"The message we need to give to Lambeth is that we are driven - we have ideas for raising revenue from private sponsorships. "There are a lot of businesses looking for philanthropic projects" she added.

After the meeting Mandy said the idea for the committee would be to lead the Upper Norwood Library Campaign to launch a new era. "We need a new committee to drive it forward. "It's not replicating the library joint committee. "The proposal we will be putting forward is for a committee that properly represents the community and the users of the library - which extends way beyond the boundaries of Lambeth and Croydon."

At the UNIT meeting Crystal Palace Community Association chairman John Payne said: "UNJL is an absolute model of economy. "It's 50 per cent cheaper to run than any other normal library services. "It costs around £400,000 to run which is considerably less than other libraries but gives better services."The library has served this community very, very well. "What Croydon have done is reprehensible.

He told the meeting Croydon had also decided to privatise their library service - again without any prior consultation. "It's very worrying. "It's an unproven model. "There could be comparisons between Upper Norwood library and their privatised service" he added.

Cllr Kathy Bee (Lab. South Norwood) told the meeting that if Labour regained control of Croydon in 2014 it would reinstate the joint agreement between Croydon and Lambeth.

The public meeting at the Salvation Army centre (entrance to the right of Blockbuster Video) on Wednesdasy November 30th starts at 7.30pm.

ONE PROPOSAL already under consideration is for the Wandsworth library and heritage service, as part of an inhouse bid submission, to submit a bid for the management of Croydon’s library services.

Another - already approved by Croydon -  would involve both Croydon and Wandsworth's library services being taken over by an outside body - possibly foreign.
A (27 page) report to Wandsworth council's environment committee of September 14th/ executive committee September 26th states: "Of particular relevance to the U.K. is the market in the United States. "There, a private company, Library Systems and Services (LSSI), have established a presence in the delivery of public library services.
"They currently hold contracts for 13 local authorities and manage the Smithsonian Institute's Library and the Library of Congress. "LSSI are keen to expand their operation to the U.K., but as yet do not have any contracts here.

"Given European Union procurement requirements, there would be a requirement to advertise the contract in the E.U. "This could therefore bring additional interest, although there is little known outsourcing currently taking place in the EU countries. "One small library authority (six libraries) in a suburb of Stockholm, Sweden has outsourced its services, but there are no other known examples from Scandinavia, or from Germany or the Netherlands."

BACKGROUND: ON SEPTEMBER 12 2011 Croydon council - which has no geographical boundary with Wandsworth council -  issued the following press release.:

SAFEGUARDING CROYDON’S LIBRARIES
A new way of managing the borough’s libraries is being considered with the aim of protecting local branches and improving services to residents.
Croydon is looking to work jointly with Wandsworth council to carry out a tendering process to find an external organisation to run libraries in both boroughs. At the end of the process each borough would be able to decide individually to whom to award the contract. The proposals will be discussed at the council’s cabinet meeting on Monday 19 September.

The move follows a widespread consultation at the beginning of the year where more than 20,000 residents responded to proposals to potentially close six branch libraries to save money following government funding reductions.  Acting on the results of the consultation, the cabinet agreed it would not take the proposals any further in light of such strong community reaction.
Instead a market testing exercise was conducted to see if there were external organisations such as private companies, trusts, community organisations and other local authorities that could viably bid to run the service. That exercise drew interest from a range of parties prompting the council to consider tendering for the service to be run externally.

By working jointly with Wandsworth the council hopes to share costs and knowledge and benefit from the potential economies of scale - particularly if one company is appointed to run both boroughs’ services.

Councillor Sara Bashford, cabinet member for customer services,culture and sport, said: “Throughout this process, we have always prioritised listening to residents wishes. When people said they didn’t want to see libraries close, we listened and opted to see who else could help run the service.

“We, like all local authorities, are facing significant reductions in our funding and we need to become even more efficient and make further savings. "This is a way of doing that while ensuring that our residents retain the service they told me was so important to them.”

FURTHER READING:
If you 'Google' the words 'Croydon Wandsworth libraries' together the first page of 'hits' will give you several news stories from the Croydon/Wandsworth Guardian group along with the agenda for the Wandsworth committee meetings mentioned above:

"Wandsworth and Croydon could outsource their libraries" (June 28 2011) Your Local Guardian;
"Croydon and Wandsworth councils considering new ways of managing libraries" (September 13 2011)
"Fears over Croydon library plans" (September 22nd 2011) Your Local Guardian;
"Concern raised over library plan in Wandsworth" (September 27 2011 Croydon Guardian)

...WHILE CROYDON HOLD A BLUNDERBUSS TO LAMBETH'S HEAD

CROYDON council are pulling out of the agreement with Lambeth council over Upper Norwood joint library - and say that's their final decision.

In a tersely worded reply which effectively holds a blunderbuss to Lambeth council's head, Croydon's chief executive Jon Rouse has given Lambeth three options:

"Lambeth buys Croydon’s share of the ibrary premises and assets for market value and continues to run it as a public library.  The staff would be transferred to Lambeth’s employ on a TUPE basis, and any that are in Croydon’s LGPS would transfer to Lambeth’s.  From the date of purchase, Lambeth would become solely responsibility for the funding of the Library, and for any contingent liabilities under the SRB Grant Agreement.

"As in Option 1, except that Croydon grants a lease of its share of the Library premises to Lambeth at a peppercorn rent (with the appropriate consents)  for a period of time to be agreed between the parties.  Lambeth’s full responsibility for the funding of the library and the contingent liabilities associated with the SRB Grant would start on the commencement date of the lease.  Again, the staff would be transferred to Lambeth’s employment.

"Lambeth decides to close the UNJL, the sale of the SRB funded assets, with the consent of Bromley, the accountable body for the grant, and the sale of the Library premises, with all the costs consequent upon the closure (e.g. utilities bills), the legal and administrative costs associated with the sale of assets, the costs associated with making the staff redundant and any repayment of grant monies required by Bromley, being shared equally between the two authorities.  It is anticipated that these costs would be deducted from the proceeds of sale, with any remainder to be divided equally between the two councils.

"As the library is located in Lambeth, we are aware that the choice of option very much falls to you. You will note that the options do not include entering into another agreement with Lambeth on this matter.  As far as Croydon is concerned, the 1994 Agreement is at an end, and we have no desire to enter into another.

"The relevant divisional director, Jayne Doyle and I would be happy to meet with you and/or Jo to discuss your chosen option. However, I should make clear that we will need clarity on your preferred option within a relatively short period, failing which we will proceed to appoint a Valuer as set out in my letter of the 21 October."

Mr Rouse also puts Croydon's legal point of view in his letter:

"In your letter, you make mention of the resolution adopted by the Library Joint Committee at its meeting of 3 February 2006, and the subsequent meeting of 10 March 2006, with respect to an agreement to amend the joint agreement to the effect that ‘at least two members from each party should represent the Upper Norwood area and at least one should have some executive responsibility for libraries.’ "Furthermore, you state that Croydon did for a number of years nominate two councillors from the Upper Norwood ward to the Joint Committee.

"It is correct that Croydon did nominate two councillors from the Upper Norwood ward to the joint committee until May 2010. After that date, however, Croydon formed the view that this was inappropriate and in contravention of the Local Authorities (Arrangements for the Discharge of Functions) (England) Regulations 2000, and that only executive members of Croydon should be appointed to the Joint Committee.

"From the perspective of Croydon, and in accordance with legal advice obtained by Croydon, the Joint Committee for the UNJL does not have ‘functions in respect of part only of the area of’ Croydon (whatever may be the position with respect to Lambeth) so as to permit the leader to appoint non-executive members to exercise Croydon’s executive functions with respect to libraries.

"First, the UNJL is not even situated in any of the area of Croydon, so the executive functions with respect to the UNJL cannot be said to be limited physically to ‘part only of the area of’ Croydon.

"Second, the facilities of the UNJL are available to all residents of the Croydon area and not merely those situated in ‘part only of the area of’ Croydon, and so the Joint Committee does not have functions with respect to a population of part only of the area of Croydon. In Croydon’s view, therefore, it would not be lawful for the Leader of Croydon to put local councillors on the Joint Committee where they are not executive members."

Letter to follow.