The likely closure of Shirley Library would be “a devastating blow” for local residents, according to comic and television presenter Nish Kumar.
Shirley saviour: comic Nish Kumar has intervened over the fate of his childhood public library
Kumar grew up in Shirley and used its public library, where borrowing books “fostered a lifelong love of reading in both myself and my brother”.
Kumar has written to Croydon’s part-time Mayor, Jason Perry, and Shirley’s full-time politician, Councillor Jason Cummings, appealing to them to reconsider any plans to close Shirley Library.
Following a public consultation, the foregone conclusion from the Tories in charge of Croydon’s cash-strapped council is expected to be announced next month.
The results from the (probably rigged) libraries consultation had been expected earlier in the summer, but were delayed – campaigners suggesting that piss-poor Perry didn’t want the anticipated bad news to adversely affect Conservative candidates in the General Election.
It didn’t do his close colleague, Cummings, much good in Croydon East, though ultimately it will be Shirley councillor Cummings who could make the decision to close the public library in Shirley.
Under Croydon Council’s plans, half of the borough’s 13 libraries would either close or be downgraded – all to save a (relatively) modest £50,000 per year, at a local authority which has debts of £1.5billion, and where the Mayor is paid £82,000 per year.
Shirley is one of four libraries earmarked for closure as part of the latest plan to “reorganise” the borough’s library service. The others under threat are Sanderstead, Broad Green and Bradmore Green Library, in Old Coulsdon. The consultation closed in mid-April.
A petitions to save Shirley Library has attracted support from the Women’s Institute and Towns Women’s Guild and more than 2,500 signatures.
A similar petition in Sanderstead has gathered a similar number of supporters.
Sanderstead Residents’ Association has been critical of the council’s case for closure because libraries are not as well used as they used to be. “This is because the council has cut the library budget by more than £800,000 and reduced the opening hours,” an SRA spokesperson said.
Under threat: Shirley Library
“Croydon now spends less on its libraries than any other London borough and has fewer libraries per head than most of London.”
In his letter to Mayor Perry and Councillor Cummings, Kumar wrote: “I am writing to you to urge you to keep Shirley Library open.
“I grew up a five-minute walk from the library and know first-hand that it is an invaluable resource to the local community. I grew up borrowing books and it fostered a lifelong love of reading in both myself and my brother.
“The library is an essential hub for the area and its closure would be a devastating blow for the residents in Shirley. I understand that with Croydon’s brilliantly stocked Central Library there might be an argument made that a library like this one might not be necessary, but that would fundamentally disregard the importance of having a resource like this within walking distance of the homes of (in particular) young families and older people.
“Libraries have a huge role to play in preparing children to get ‘school ready’ and, for people on lower incomes, open up the possibility of learning and reading without placing further financial strain on households that are already dealing with strained finances.
Shirley error: Jason Cummings is the council’s cabinet member for finance who is likely to rubber-stamp the decision to close the library
“I grew up going there and now, in my late 30s am seeing friends from school move to Shirley to raise their own children.
“Part of what makes an area like this such a fantastic place to raise children is a facility like the library. It is an essential part of this community.
“Please reconsider the decision. It would deprive a new generation of an opportunity that changed mine and many other people’s lives.”
Across two petitions – online and paper – the Shirley Library campaigners have raised 2,500 signatures, and intend to present Mayor Perry with the petition in early September.
To add your name to Nish Kumar’s and 2,500 others on the petition, click here.
Read more: £51,000pa saved on library won’t touch council’s £1.6bn debt
Read more: Sanderstead among four public libraries under threat of closure
Read more: ‘The council is dismantling our borough, service by service’
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ROTTEN BOROUGH AWARDS: In January 2024, Croydon was named among the country’s rottenest boroughs for a SEVENTH successive year in the annual round-up of civic cock-ups in Private Eye magazine
Well done Sanderstead Residents’ Association for at least trying to reverse what is almost certainly a done deal. Sadly in Shirley, SPRA (who claim to be non-partisan) have bought the line that it’s underused and will not oppose, totally ignoring the fact that it only opens two days a week if we’re lucky and it can be hit and miss whether they have enough staff to bother, have a fire drill that day, can find the keyholder or need to unexpectedly close for lunch (all things I’ve personally experienced). Being weekdays, it means that anyone who works Monday to Friday cannot use it and it also opens/closes at times that rule out commuters as well. Even being retired, it’s often difficult to plan my life around these little windows of literary opportunity. No wonder the usage is so low!
Of course SPRA were also having secret meetings about giving Shirley Heath to the Golf Club, which only came to light much later. So their response is no real surprise.
Are there any residents’ associations in the south of the borough that aren’t de facto wings of the Tory Party?
Yes. I’m a member of Selsdon Residents’ Association and we are very protective of our political independence. There are different political views on the committee, as you would expect in every community, and that means that we don’t all agree on every decision. But I have always been pleased that the Selsdon Resident’s Association put’s residents first.
One of the factors that may help this is that local Councillors are invited to attend our meetings but they are not allowed to take up roles on the committee. I would suggest that this might be a good idea for all Residents’ Associations in Croydon.
Something wrong here. You describe Nish Kumar as a ‘comic’, but that’s clearly not true as he fails the first rule of comedy – to be funny.
Ahhh… Mr Myers displaying once more how the right find the truth not only uncomfortable, but also no laughing matter