Category Archives: Greenwich Leisure
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
Angry complaints force U-turn over leisure centre charges
The council’s ‘Better’ leisure centres have been forced to abandon plans to charge the carers of disabled people for use of the facilities. But those on low incomes are still expected to pay £28.50 for a membership scheme they probably … Continue reading
GLL lined up for libraries, as well as leisure and pools
GENE BRODIE, our bookish gyms correspondent, on an added twist to the tale of a 20-year leisure centre management contract GLL – Greenwich Leisure Ltd – could be lined up to take over the operation of Croydon’s library service. GLL … Continue reading
Upper Norwood libraries campaigner Robert Gibson was expelled by Labour Party just days before going missing
The purge of members by the right wing of the Labour Party across south London may have had a human cost, after it was revealed that Robert Gibson, the Upper Norwood library campaigner, received a letter notifying him that he … Continue reading
Mass protest planned over Upper Norwood Library cuts
Library campaigners are planning a demonstration at Upper Norwood Library next Saturday, April 30, to protest against the withdrawal of professional staff and turning the century-old amenity into a “self-service” facility. Upper Norwood, which is operated jointly by Croydon and … Continue reading
Borough archives come under threat from library closures
Part of Croydon’s borough archive has come under threat as a consequence of neighbouring Lambeth’s policy of forcibly turning some of its public libraries into bookish gyms. The Carnegie Library in Herne Hill was in the headlines last week over … Continue reading
Protestors occupy under-threat library to halt council’s closure
The people are taking over. It is a gathering story from deepest south London of a popular uprising, of the sort that you might expect from oppressed locals against a tyrannical Conservative local authority. But the occupation of the Carnegie … Continue reading
Croydon looks for volunteer-run libraries and ‘bookish gyms’
GENE BRODIE on the announcement of a council consultation which puts the future of the borough’s libraries in doubt yet again A fortnight ago, Inside Croydon reported the startling news that some of Croydon’s Labour councillors are prepared to abandon … Continue reading
Job losses and volunteer libraries leaves us feeling let down
CROYDON COMMENTARY: Public library provision is a statutory requirement for local authorities such as Croydon. But they also represent a soft target when councils want to make cuts. ROBERT GIBSON says that the funding announcement for Crystal Palace’s library is … Continue reading
Newman and Labour cabinet contemplate library closures
GENE BRODIE, our education, libraries and bookish gyms correspondent, reports on private meetings held by the council leadership to consider breaking an election pledge to Croydon’s voters Croydon’s ruling Labour group is split over whether to break its manifesto commitment … Continue reading
Library campaigners take Lambeth to court over bookish gyms
Lambeth Council, which last month lost a case in the High Court over its handling of a public con-consultation on housing, is to face another Judicial Review, this time over its “omnishambles” handling of its libraries con-consultation which has threatened … Continue reading
Lambeth axes 50% of public libraries in ‘deeply cynical’ move
Lambeth Council has announced that it is to close five of the borough’s 10 public libraries as a consequence of the cuts in grants from central government. The Labour council’s proposals have been criticised as a “postcode lottery” for the … Continue reading
£30m library deal referred for scrutiny – by report’s author
It was past 9pm last night, Bank Holiday Monday, when the official Croydon Council Twitter feed spluttered into life (double time for someone in the press office, perhaps?), offering a link to some new content on the official council website. … Continue reading
Pollard hands £30m library deal on a plate to builders Laings
Croydon’s secretive council is at it again, this time sneaking out a report just before the Bank Holiday weekend that announces that Tim Pollard, the deputy leader of the Conservative-run council, has decided that he will award an eight-year contract … Continue reading
Redundancies and four-day opening at Upper Norwood library
So much for Croydon Council’s promises of no library closures. The Conservative-controlled council which has already axed the mobile library service and has decided to close New Addington’s purpose-built library to replace it with a few book shelves in the … Continue reading
Council accused of being “out of control” over libraries
Croydon’s Conservative-run council was tonight accused of being “out of control” and mis-spending Council Tax money in an “obscene way”. Timothy Godfrey, the opposition Labour spokesman on libraries, took the opportunity of an emergency meeting at the Town Hall to … Continue reading
Questions Pollard must answer over libraries shambles
Tim “Yes but No but Yes” Pollard ought to come under intense pressure at an emergency meeting at Croydon Town Hall tonight over his handling of the tendering process for the outsourcing of the management of the borough’s libraries if … Continue reading
Emergency meeting called on sell-off of public libraries
There will be an emergency meeting of Croydon Council on Monday evening, when Tim Pollard will be called to account for the shambolic handling of the Conservative-led administration’s attempts to sell-off the borough’s libraries. The opposition Labour group has called … Continue reading
National Libraries Day: a pledge for Croydon
TIMOTHY GODFREY restates a commitment to hand the running of the borough’s libraries back to the communities Today is National Libraries Day. Croydon should be celebrating a renaissance in our libraries. Two years ago, the communities of Croydon defeated the … Continue reading
“Never knowingly understood”? Realities of a co-op council
CROYDON COMMENTARY: Last Wednesday, while Croydon Council was handing over its libraries to Laings, up the A23 at Brixton Town Hall, Lambeth Council was making an equally significant decision. SEAN CREIGHTON looks at the work done over the borough boundary … Continue reading
Secrets and libraries: Croydon adds to shabby reputation
And so a decision to spend £30 million of public money was taken at Croydon Town Hall last night by the Conservatives who control the council. But because of council leader Mike Fisher’s group’s aversion to openness and transparency, the … Continue reading
Croydon awards £30m library deal to most expensive bidder
Croydon’s Conservative-run council will announce next week that it has decided to award an eight year contract, estimated to be worth £30 million, to run the borough’s libraries to the company which finished bottom in a competitive tendering process. It … Continue reading
Labour will cancel library privatisation contract, Godfrey says
Whichever organisation is recommended for a public-funded eight-year contract to run the Croydon’s public libraries – an announcement is expected soon – will also have to consider the possibility that they will have the deal cancelled after barely a year. … Continue reading
Flip flop? Croydon’s library privatisation flipped into a flop
Did we say flip flop? The news of the awarding of the library management contract to swimming pool managers GLL which we related earlier this week has taken a further twist today, with the 14-month-long procurement process which has cost … Continue reading
