Local residents in Norbury and Pollards Hill have begun a fightback against Croydon Council’s cuts, organising a meeting to oppose the  planned closure of their local library.

“Norbury Library is an important part of our community and one of the very few community services that Croydon Council provides to residents,” Mark Smith, the chairman of the Norbury Green Residents’ Association, said.

“We are working hard to save it. The library is more than just about books, it is a place to meet, hold book clubs, there is free internet access and the underprivileged utilise it to look for work.”

The meeting is to take place on Thursday January 13, from 7.30pm, at  Norbury Baptist Church, Semley Road, with the speakers including the Tory councillor overseeing the closure plan, Sara Bashford.

News of the council proposals was first broken by Inside Croydon.

One key question for residents to put to Bashford at the Norbury meeting will be about the validity of the consultation process, amid considerable scepticism that the council’s ruling Tory group has already decided to shut Norbury and five other libraries across the borough to save £700,000 a year, while it continues to spend nearly £500 million on new offices at its “hub”.

For more information see www.norburygreen.co.uk, or email: contact@norburygreen.co.uk.