CROYDON IN CRISIS: After a year’s delay, only now are ‘plans’ slowly emerging for the future of four public libraries, with no leases yet agreed on at least two sites. GENE BRODIE, education correspondent, reports
It’s been a whole year since Croydon’s failed Mayor Jason Perry confirmed his intention to close four of the borough’s public libraries.
Late opening: a year after Tory Mayor Perry confirmed he was to close Sanderstead Library, the council has still to agree a lease for alternative use for the building
So poorly considered was the £84,000 per year Tory Mayor’s “plan” that only now are details of “alternative” use schemes which he belatedly managed to cobble together beginning to emerge.
At Sanderstead, residents are about to enjoy an open day to discover more about the “alternative” use the council has in mind, from an organisation that admits that it does not yet even have a fully functioning website.
Mayor Perry’s other handover plans have so far been chaotic, attracting adverse national headlines when council contractors chucked hundreds of books into the street at another closed library site, in Broad Green, where the Asian Resource Centre of Croydon is to take over the public building.
In Shirley, the library building has been earmarked for use by Play Place Innov8 (geddit?!!), a community interest company with roots in New Addington.
Play Place is running a GoFundMe appeal to raise another £10,000 they reckon they need to move into and use the building. After a week, they have so far raised less than one-tenth of the amount they say they need.
iC has not yet seen any signs of new life at Bradmore Green Library in Old Coulsdon, although we confidently expect that between now and election day next May, there will be a tweet or Facebook video, with a breathless Mayor congratulating himself on the fine work he has done in shredding another piece of local community fabric.
There was so little work done in advance that a widespread, and reasonable, assumption was made by opposition councillors that Mayor Perry wanted to flog off the closed libraries, probably to housing developers. If any of the emerging schemes at Sanderstead, Shirley, Broad Green or Old Coulsdon fail to work out, development of the sites remains a real option.
There’s a common theme across all four libraries that the Mayor closed last year: despite piss-poor Perry’s claims at the time – and in the 12 months or so of fake “public consultations” that prefaced the closures – the council’s property experts had done nothing to secure viable alternatives in place from the date of closures in November 2024.
On-going use of the buildings was only ever an afterthought. Some established, community-based organisations say that when they expressed an interest, they were brushed aside. The £1,000 per day “interim” who was heading up the management of the council’s property portfolio recently quit Fisher’s Folly, before the arrival of government Commissioners.
Open day: but does the organisation already have its own notion of how it will operate from the public building
At each former library site, the cash-strapped council has got staffing and (most) maintenance costs off its books, handing over public property on modest, mid-term leases. But the financials involved will barely scratch the surface of the “runaway” spending at Perry’s council, with its £1.4billion debts.
At Sanderstead, the open day on September 13 has been dressed up as part of the Mayor of London’s Open House and community weekend (possibly to tap in to a source of some “free” public money?).
“We’re opening the doors to everyone to join us in a shared reimagining of how we develop the space as a community base,” says The Story Sanctuary, which describes itself as a “creative health and wellbeing hub”.
The company behind the Story Sanctuary, called The A Collective, probably through no fault of their own, hasn’t even yet been given a licence for the building from the council.
“We’re in the process of working with Croydon Council to agree a temporary licence to use the building, in advance of negotiating a full lease.” So this is hardly the epitome of a thought-through, well-considered handover.
Where the “shared reimagining” fits in for residents who still resent losing their valued public library is unclear. The range of possible uses suggested by Story Sanctuary look much like the kind of activities you might hope to find at a well-run public library. Much as Sanderstead Library once was.
The A Collective, originally named the Autistic Community Hub, was only registered as a Community Interest Company in July 2023. That’s around the same time that Mayor Perry and his council started scratching their heads, and probably other parts of their anatomy, to come up with ideas of what to do with four pieces of prime real estate.
Details so far are vague to the point of non-existent. According to The A Collective/Story Sanctuary: “Opening Autumn 2025 at the former Sanderstead Library building. Full website coming soon!” We can hardly wait…
Of the open day, they say: “Come down, explore, learn about what we hope to do and help shape our plans!
“Refreshments available.” Which is good.
“Please note: there are no accessible toilets (yet!) and the stairs are steep.” Which is not so good, especially for an organisation that will need to meet stringent accessibility requirements before it can open its doors to the public.
The A Collective describes itself as “a small neurodivergent arts non-profit, centred around creative health and wellbeing”. One of the founders, Jill Finch, actually lives in Sanderstead, the company states.
Short of cash: the new group looking to takeover Shirley Library are trying to Crowdfund their budget
“Our team is experienced working with people across all ages and identities. We plan to run a playful, intergenerational, sensory-friendly and inclusive trauma-informed programme – a gentle approach that we believe benefits everyone.”
It is perhaps important to state at this point that the organisations lined up to take over at Sanderstead and at Shirley both describe themselves as “non-profits” and CICs (ARCC, at Broad Green, is registered as both a limited company and as a charity).
Community Interest Companies are not charities.
The founder, or founders, of CICs can ensure they earn a living for their work for the organisation. It is only the surplus that the company might make, after all costs, including staff wages, that must be reinvested into the business. It is entirely possible for those running a CIC to make sure that they are paid so much that, at the end of the accounting period, there is no profit whatsoever.
But the overall sense that the council’s library handovers are all very much an afterthought from Perry’s failing administration continues when looking at this month’s announcements over the future of Shirley Library, another long-cherished public building in a Conservative-held council ward.
Perry’s pile: thousands of books were dumped outside Broad Green Library last month by contractors working for Croydon Council
Play Place Innov8 has been granted a licence from the council to occupy the library building, and they say that they “expect the 25-year lease to be finalised within the next two months”.
In an statement issued last week, they say: “Work has already begun, and over the coming months you’ll notice activity around light refurbishment and decorating.”
Play Place’s Innov8’s version of events appears a little confused over timings.
“Shirley Library was set to close,” they say. Shirley Library, together with the three other public libraries, closed in early November 2024. “In May 2025, Play Place Innov8 CIC, a Croydon not-for-profit, stepped in to save it.”
They say that they have already raised £13,000 from “fantastic local support”, including “help from businesses and volunteers with broadband, electrics, carpentry and decoration”.
Play Place Innov8 has now got out its begging bowl: “We’re not quite there yet. We still need funds for new carpets, equipment and essential refurbishment to make the library safe, welcoming and fully ready for everyone.” Hence the 10 grand crowdfund appeal.
In 2021, it cost almost £100,000 for Croydon Council to operate Shirley Library, including £70,000 to pay trained, professional librarians.
In 2025, Play Place Innov8 has laid out an aspirational range of activities, though little different from what residents of other local authorities have come to appreciate from their public libraries.
“We want to keep its traditional services — book loans, study areas and computer access — and also introduce new activities like reading groups, after-school clubs, arts and crafts, poetry, knitting and more.
“Together, we can make it a vibrant hub shaped by the people of Shirley.”
They don’t say what happens if they don’t reach their funding target. But it’s a certainty that Croydon’s cash-strapped council under failed Mayor Perry won’t be chipping in.
Read more: Booked! Mayor Perry deceives over destruction of library stock
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