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Category Archives: Libraries
£603,000: the soaring costs of Croydon’s ‘improvement’ panel
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Three years since Tony McArdle and his government-appointed team of troubleshooters were parachuted into the council, there are mounting questions about what they have achieved. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES The Government-appointed chair of Croydon Council’s “improvement and … Continue reading
Posted in Adult Social Care, Children's Services, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Improvement Board, Katherine Kerswell, Libraries, Section 114 notice, SEND, Tony McArdle
Tagged Bankrupt, Chrildren's Services, Conservative, Council Tax, Croydon, Croydon Council, Eleanor Brazil, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Levelling, LGC, Local Government Chronicle, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor Jason Perry, Phil Brookes, S114, S114 notice, Section 114, Section 114 Notice, Tony McArdle, Tory
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More than 2,500 sign petition to save Sanderstead Library
A petition to keep Sanderstead Library open has attracted more than 2,500 signatures. Sanderstead is one of four libraries earmarked for closure as part of Mayor Jason Perry’s plans to “reorganise” Croydon’s library service. The petition demands that Croydon Council … Continue reading
Posted in Broad Green, Community associations, Coulsdon, Croydon Council, Libraries, Old Coulsdon, Sanderstead, Sanderstead Residents Association, Shirley North, Shirley South
Tagged 15% Council Tax hike, Bradmore Green, Bradmore Green Library, Broad Green Library, Conservative, Coulsdon, Croydon, Croydon Council, London Borough of Croydon, Old Coulsdon, Richard Pacitti, Sanderstead, Sanderstead Library, Sanderstead Residents' Association, Shirley, Shirley Library, Tory
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Time is running out to help save our threatened public libraries
CROYDON COMMENTARY: As the deadline approaches for the consultation on Tory plans to close or downgrade half the borough’s libraries, ELAINE GARROD seeks your support in responding to the council consultation I have always believed that having a local library … Continue reading
Posted in Croydon Council, Croydon South, Elaine Garrod, Libraries
Tagged Bradmore Green Library, Broad Green Library, Conservative, Coulsdon, Croydon, Croydon Council, Croydon Libraries, Croydon Public Libraries, Croydon South, Elaine Garrod, Green Party, Libraries, Libraries consultation, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor Jason Perry, Old Coulsdon, Public libraries, Sanderstead Library, Shirley, Shirley Library, Tory
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£51,000pa saved on library won’t touch council’s £1.6bn debt
Three years ago, RICHARD PACITTI, pictured left, explained how to save the borough’s libraries. With half of Croydon’s public libraries once again under threat of closure or being down-graded, he’s back to make the case for a properly funded, essential … Continue reading
Posted in Broad Green, Broad Green Residents' Association, Community associations, Coulsdon, Croydon Council, Education, Libraries, New Addington, Old Coulsdon, Old Coulsdon Residents' Association, Sanderstead, Shirley North, Shirley South, South Norwood
Tagged Bradmore Green, Bradmore Green Library, Broad Green, Broad Green Library, Conservative, Coulsdon, Croydon, Croydon Council, Friend of Sandersted Library, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, New Addington, New Addington Library, Old Coulsdon, Richard Pacitti, Sanderstead, Sanderstead Library, Sanderstead Residents' Association, Shirley, Shirley Library, South Norwood, South Norwood Library, Tory
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‘Appalling’ GLL is facing strike by library workers in Bromley
Library workers in Bromley are to take strike action over “low pay and shoddy working practices”, according to their union, Unite. Bromley operates 14 public libraries (more than in bigger borough Croydon), plus a volunteer-run mobile library service, all managed … Continue reading
Authors talk about pirates, pigeons and patchwork unicorns
Our latest Under The Flyover podcast is a World Book Day Special, where we meet three local authors who have helped to inspire thousands of local schoolchildren from Croydon primary schools through their books and their readings at Waterstones bookstore … Continue reading
Cash-strapped council to splash out £4.8m on new laptops
CROYDON IN CRISIS: No money for adult services, half the borough’s libraries facing closure or down-grading, and Council Tax hiked by 21% in just 12 months. But Mayor Perry has found the cash to buy 3,700 new computers. By KEN … Continue reading
Posted in Business, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Elaine Jackson, Ian Golland, Katherine Kerswell, Libraries, Marie Snelling, Mayor Jason Perry
Tagged Conservative, Council Tax, Croydon, Croydon Council, Ian Golland, Katherine Kerswell, Laptop refresh, Marie Snelling, Mayor Jason Perry, Tory
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2,000 primary pupils inspired by star authors at Waterstones
Almost 2,000 pupils from Croydon primary schools have this week come with their classes to Waterstones in the Whitgift Centre to celebrate World Book Day in an impressive and inspiring series of talks and events featuring locally-based authors. The youngsters … Continue reading
Raye’s Coulsdon primary school pleads: ‘Save Our Library!’
There was a huge turn out on World Book Day at Bradmore Green Library in Old Coulsdon this morning to protest against the Tory Mayor’s proposals to close the library. Residents and children are really upset at the threat to … Continue reading
‘The council is dismantling our borough, service by service’
CROYDON COMMENTARY: The latest sham consultation over the closure of some of the borough’s libraries – with half under threat of being downgraded or shut forever – looks like the end-game to ALISON HUNT So there’s yet another consultation over … Continue reading
Posted in Broad Green, Coulsdon, Croydon Council, Education, Libraries, Mayor Jason Perry, Old Coulsdon, Sanderstead, Schools, Shirley North, Shirley South, South Norwood
Tagged Alison Hunt, Bradmore Green, Bradmore Green Library, Broad Green, Broad Green Library, Conservative, Council Tax, Croydon, Croydon Council, Libraries, Libraries consultation, New Addington, Old Coulsdon, Public libraries, Sanderstead, Sanderstead Library, Shirley, Shirley Library, South Norwood, Tory
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Angry Purley and Sanderstead residents to confront Mayor
Dodgy fines on motorists, rubber-stamping LTNs, £5 charges for replacement bins, public library closures and now delays over a long-promised Coulsdon healthcentre are likely to be some of the awkward questions tonight for out-of-his-depth Jason Perry Jason Perry, Croydon’s £82,000 … Continue reading
Posted in Community associations, Coulsdon, Croydon Council, East Coulsdon Residents' Association, Libraries, Mario Creatura, Mayor Jason Perry, New Addington, Parking, Purley, Purley Pool, Sanderstead
Tagged 15% Council Tax hike, Conservative, Coulsdon, Coulsdon health centre, Croydon, Croydon Council, Mayor Jason Perry, Polaska Assets BVI, Purley, Purley Pool, Sanderstead, Sanderstead Library, Say No To 15%, Tory
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21% Council Tax hike but Perry has a pay rise for his mates
There’s a protest planned outside Croydon Town Hall tomorrow for the first of two council budget meetings You pay more. You get less. Long-suffering residents will be protesting outside Croydon Town Hall tomorrow evening, and again the following Wednesday, March … Continue reading
Posted in Adult Social Care, Callton Young, Community associations, Council Tax, Croydon Council, David White, Esther Sutton, Libraries, Mayor Jason Perry, Ria Patel, Stuart King
Tagged 15% Council Tax hike, Conservative, Council Tax, Croydon, Croydon Assembly, Croydon Council, David White, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor Jason Perry, Say No To 15%, Tory
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Local community ‘partnerships’ meeting, Norbury, Mar 13
Posted in Activities, Community associations, Libraries, Norbury
Tagged Norbury, Norbury Library
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Short-notice Old Coulsdon library webinar betrays council plan
Plans to close or downgrade half the borough’s public libraries are being rushed through, as just three days’ notice of an event for Old Coulsdon residents demonstrates Croydon Council gave Old Coulsdon residents just three weekdays’ notice of a “webinar” … Continue reading
Posted in Broad Green, Coulsdon, Croydon Council, Libraries, Mayor Jason Perry, New Addington, Old Coulsdon, Old Coulsdon Residents' Association, Sanderstead, Shirley North, Shirley South, South Norwood
Tagged Andy Stranack, Bradmore Green, Bradmore Green Library, Broad Green, Broad Green Library, Conservative, Council Tax, Croydon, Croydon Council, Kristian Aspinall, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor Jason Perry, New Addington, New Addington Library, Purley, Purley Library, Sanderstead, Sanderstead Library, Shirley, Shirley Library, South Norwood, South Norwood Library, Tory
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Sanderstead among four public libraries under threat of closure
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Up to seven of the borough’s libraries will close or be down-graded under Tory-run council’s plans – a decade after they last made similar proposals to flog off public assets. By STEVEN DOWNES Croydon’s Tory Mayor, Jason … Continue reading
Posted in Broad Green, Coulsdon, Croydon Council, Education, Libraries, Mayor Jason Perry, New Addington, Old Coulsdon, Property, Purley, Sanderstead, Shirley North, Shirley South, South Norwood
Tagged Bradmore Green, Bradmore Green Library, Broad Green Library, Conservative, Council Tax, Croydon, Croydon Council, Croydon Libraries, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor Jason Perry, Sanderstead, Sanderstead Library, Shirley, Shirley Library, South Norwood, Tory
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Welcome to the House of Fun! Squatters claim court victory
The squatter activist group, Reclaim Croydon, was claiming a victory today after a judge threw out an application to have them evicted from the long-vacant “Fun House” site, under the Croydon Flyover. Reclaim Croydon have turned the unused premises into … Continue reading
Posted in Charity, Church and religions, Community associations, Croydon Council, Housing, Libraries, Mayor Jason Perry, Reclaim Croydon, Socco Cheta Community Hub, South Norwood Community Kitchen
Tagged Altyre Road, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Croydon Crown Court, Croydon Flyover, Croydon High Street, House of Fun, London, Mayor Jason Perry, Reclaim Croydon, South Norwood Community Kitchen, Tory
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Everything really is political on a stroll around South Norwood
SUNDAY SUPPLEMENT: This week, KEN TOWL wanders off on a tour of South Norwood, helped with a guide map that is available from one of Croydon’s libraries that is closed for five days of the week… The modern dictum that … Continue reading
Posted in Art, Ken Towl, Libraries, South Norwood, Walks
Tagged 20th Century Society, architecture, Art, Ken Towl, Selhurst Park, South Norwood, South Norwood Library, Wilfried Zaha
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Consultants’ year-long study looks to close four public libraries
EXCLUSIVE By STEVEN DOWNES Croydon’s Conservative-run council has a secret plan to close at least four of the borough’s public libraries, Inside Croydon has discovered. The Tories have had a firm of consultants working on a libraries report for most … Continue reading
Posted in Broad Green, Croydon Council, Libraries, Old Coulsdon, Sanderstead, Shirley North, South Norwood
Tagged Bradmore Green Library, Broad Green, Broad Green Library, Conservative, Coulsdon, Council Tax, Croydon, Croydon Council, Croydon Public Libraries, Jason Cummings, Mayor Jason Perry, Old Coulsdon, Sanderstead, Sanderstead Library, Shirley, Shirley Library, South Norwood, South Norwood Library, Tory
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Croydon’s urban heritage, free talk, Ashburton Library, Nov 20
Posted in Ashburton, History, Libraries
Tagged Ashburton Library, Dawn Perreira, Little Manhattan
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Open+’s CCTV gives Norbury Library few extra opening hours
Croydon, London’s Borough of Culture 2023, can afford to buy CCTV cameras and pay security guards, but it cannot afford the wages for trained librarians to open its public libraries for more than three days a week. The council has … Continue reading
GLL’s library workers in Bromley vote by 86% for strike action
Workers at Bromley’s public libraries have voted overwhelmingly in favour of industrial action. The library workers, employed by swimming pool operators GLL, Greenwich Leisure, are fighting for better pay and an end to zero-hours contracts. Zero hours contracts are effectively … Continue reading
We are witnessing the long, slow death of local government
‘We are staring into an abyss here, and it’s time we faced up to it’. Those were the words of a Conservative councillor in Croydon – in 2013. Here, ANDREW FISHER, pictured right, says that faced with austerity on a … Continue reading
Posted in Adult Social Care, Andrew Fisher, Children's Services, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Housing, Improvement Board, Katherine Kerswell, Libraries, Mayor Jason Perry, Section 114 notice, SEND
Tagged 15% Council Tax hike, Andrew Fisher, CIPFA, Conservative, Council Tax, Croydon, Croydon Council, Department for Levelling Up, DLUHC, Hastings, Lambeth, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor Jason Perry, Michael Gove, Northumberland, Nottingham, S114 notice, Section 114, Section 114 Notice, Slough, Thurrock, Tim Pollard, Tory, unemployment, Woking
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Libraries to offer computer training to tackle digital exclusion
Digital skills courses, workshops and drop-ins are being staged for adults in their local libraries after Croydon Council was successful in securing grant funding. Croydon’s library service has been awarded funding from Arts Council England. The funding will go towards … Continue reading
Ready. Get set: Croydon’s reading challenge gets underway
Children aged from four to 11 could win fabulous prizes for taking part in this year’s Summer Reading Challenge, being run throughout Croydon’s libraries, starting today. The Reading Agency has partnered with the Youth Sport Trust for this year’s theme … Continue reading
