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Category Archives: Libraries
Short-staffed libraries forced to close their doors until 2022
Croydon’s libraries, already operating on much-reduced opening hours, will close their doors tonight and not re-open until Monday, January 3, at the earliest. The closures leave students working towards exams in the New Year and other residents denied access to … Continue reading
Posted in Croydon Council, Libraries
Tagged Croydon, Croydon Central Library, Croydon Council, Family Justice Centre, Libraries
3 Comments
Croydon In Crisis: Council can no longer cope with basic tasks
It was on November 11, 2020, that Croydon issued a Section114 Notice, effectively admitting they were bankrupt. Twelve months on, and now the council struggles to fulfil even the most basic of administrative services. EXCLUSIVE By STEVEN DOWNES Resident endures … Continue reading
Posted in Council Tax, Croydon Council, Katherine Kerswell, Libraries, Report in the Public Interest, Section 114 notice
Tagged Children's Services, coronavirus, Council Tax, Council Tax Support, Covid-19, Croydon, Croydon Council, Croydon Libraries, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, Purley Pool
8 Comments
Tea and Tech: Accessing NHS, Upper Norwood Library, Oct 22
Posted in Activities, Libraries, Upper Norwood Library Trust
Tagged Tea and Tech, Upper Norwood Library
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Further £38.4m to be sliced from next year’s council budget
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Town Hall leadership hoped to keep the latest round of cuts secret until after next week’s referendum, as the consequences of the borough’s bankruptcy start to hit home. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES £12m of adult social care … Continue reading
Posted in 2021 Mayor Referendum, Adult Social Care, Callton Young, Croydon Council, GLL - Better, Hamida Ali, Jason Cummings, Leisure services, Libraries, Purley Pool, Richard Ennis, Section 114 notice, Stuart King, Tony Newman
Tagged Callton Young, Conservative, coronavirus, Council budget, Covid-19, Croydon, Croydon Council, DEMOC, Democratically Elected Mayor for Croydon, Hamida Ali, Labour, Purley, Purley Pool, Richard Ennis, Save Purley Pool Campaign, Section 114, Steve Reed OBE, STUART KING, Tory
21 Comments
Croydon’s Black History Month offers much to be proud about
Croydon’s Black History Month begins tonight under the tagline “Proud2be”. Organised by the Croydon BME Forum, Black History Month includes an intergenerational fashion show, poetry readings, live music, theatre, a networking brunch and thought-provoking discussions.
South Norwood’s ‘brutalist’ library in Top 10 attractions
Yet more sphincter-clenching embarrassment for the Blairites who control Croydon’s Labour Party, as the public library which their local council wants to flog off, for possible demolition and redevelopment, is to feature in September’s Open House London celebration of all … Continue reading
Croydon Labour to return to the Three-Day Week for libraries
Oliver “Shit Show” Lewis, the councillor with responsibility for the borough’s culture, has had a second set of money-saving proposals for Croydon libraries mostly rejected, and so will preside over the council’s statutory service now being provided on just three … Continue reading
Four more public libraries set to reopen after covid lockdown
At least a month later than most local authorities managed, Croydon is to begin “a phased reopening for all library buildings”, after the easing of covid-19 precautions. Four of the borough’s 13 public libraries – at Broad Green, Sanderstead, Shirley … Continue reading
Posted in Activities, Broad Green, Croydon Council, Education, Libraries, Sanderstead, Shirley North, Upper Norwood Library Trust
Tagged Bradmore Green, Bradmore Green Library, Broad Green, Coulsdon, Croydon, Croydon Council, Croydon Libraries, London Borough of Croydon, Sanderstead, Sanderstead Library, Shirley, Shirley Library
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Children’s summer challenge is to search for their wild heroes
Croydon libraries’ 2021 summer reading challenge has a “Wild World Heroes” theme, focusing on making a difference to the environment. The challenge asks children aged between four and 11 to visit their local library (in the few hours when it … Continue reading
Posted in Education, Libraries
Tagged Croydon Public Libraries, Summer Reading Challenge
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Lewis launches reading challenge – when 11 libraries are shut
CROYDON IN CRISIS: As the council’s second consultation in a year to shut down a statutory service comes to an end, eight of the borough’s libraries remain closed for the majority of the week. By STEVEN DOWNES With all the … Continue reading
The show must go on: theatre groups prepare for reopening
SANJANA IDNANI reports on how local theatrical venues and amdram groups have been dealing with the covid lockdown as they prepare to put on their summer shows Theatre companies and performers across the borough have faced their fair share of … Continue reading
Council forced to back down over plan to close five libraries
Having created a threat to close five of the borough’s public libraries, the witless Labour administration is now trying to claim the credit for ‘saving’ them. By STEVEN DOWNES For the second time in just two years, hapless Ollie Lewis, … Continue reading
Posted in Broad Green, Croydon Council, Libraries, Old Coulsdon, Oliver Lewis, Sanderstead, Shirley North, South Norwood
Tagged Bradmore Green Library, Broad Green, Broad Green Library, Coulsdon, Croydon Public Libraries, Old Coulsdon, Oliver Lewis, Sanderstead, Sanderstead Library, Shirley, Shirley Library, South Norwood, South Norwood Library
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Under-threat libraries missing from council’s re-opening plans
Croydon Council this morning released details of its phased re-opening of some of the borough’s public libraries – but with no immediate plans for three of the buildings which it has listed for permanent closure in its recent consultation. Broad … Continue reading
Posted in Ashburton, Broad Green, Coulsdon, Croydon Council, Libraries, New Addington South, Norbury, Old Coulsdon, Purley, Sanderstead, Selsdon and Addington Village, Shirley North, South Norwood, Thornton Heath
Tagged Bradmore Green Library, Broad Green, coronavirus, Coulsdon, Covid-19, Croydon, Croydon Council, Croydon Public Libraries, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, New Addington, Purley, Sanderstead Library, Selsdon Library, Shirley Library, South Norwood, Thornton Heath
2 Comments
Council is sitting on £22.5m in unspent infrastructure levies
While Croydon proposes closing public libraries, is withdrawing vital support from community centres and is making local sports clubs homeless, the bankrupt council is sitting on £22.5million of unused development levies. Community Infrastructure Levy, or CILs, and Section 106 contributions … Continue reading
Council’s libraries consultation accused of being unlawful
CROYDON IN CRISIS: The council’s penny-wise and pound-foolish proposals for library closures could end up costing it more money after a badly-organised consultation, according to a national campaign group. By STEVEN DOWNES The council’s latest consultation, over the proposed closure … Continue reading
Posted in Brick by Brick, Broad Green, Community associations, Coulsdon, Croydon Council, Libraries, Old Coulsdon, Sanderstead, Shirley North, South Norwood
Tagged Bradmore Green, Broad Green, Croydon Public Libraries, Oliver Lewis, Sanderstead, Shirley, South Norwood, The Library Campaign
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Libraries are our long-term investment. Don’t squander it
CROYDON IN CRISIS: On World Book Day, RICHARD PACITTI outlines why closing any of the borough’s libraries is a very bad idea Think of an ideal public service. It would be one that was accessible to all members of the … Continue reading
Lip-service webinars fail to consider libraries’ community future
CROYDON COMMENTARY: As the council pays lip-service to a legally required consultation process, there’s a sense of inevitability about proposed closures for up to five of the borough’s public libraries. After sitting in on one of the council’s virtual Q&A … Continue reading
Posted in Brick by Brick, Broad Green, Coulsdon, Croydon Council, Education, Libraries, Old Coulsdon, Oliver Lewis, Sarah Hayward, Section 114 notice
Tagged Bradmore Green Library, Coulsdon, Croydon, Croydon Council, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Old Coulsdon, Shirley Library, South Norwood, South Norwood Library
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‘Joseph Heller could use Croydon as a sequel to Catch 22’
CROYDON COMMENTARY: The row between the Labour council and Tory government over the possible costs of staging a mayoral referendum has got loyal reader IAN KIERANS crunching some numbers Is it really £1million additional costs to stage a referendum over … Continue reading
South Norwood library needs £900,000 more to be fit to open
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Mounting repair bills has seen the bankrupt council earmark five public libraries for possible closure. But they are not saying how much they might make if they sell the properties. Our political editor, WALTER CRONXITE, reports More … Continue reading
Posted in Broad Green, Coulsdon, Croydon Council, Libraries, Old Coulsdon, Patsy Cummings, Sanderstead, Sarah Jones MP, Shirley North, South Norwood
Tagged Bradmore Green, Bradmore Green Library, Brick by Brick, Broad Green, Broad Green Library, Croydon, Croydon Central, Croydon Council, Croydon North, Croydon South, Labour, Old Coulsdon, Oliver Lewis, Patsy Cummings, Sanderstead, Sanderstead Library, Sarah Jones MP, Shirley, Shirley Library, South Norwood, South Norwood Library
9 Comments
Council survey on cuts tries to pass the buck to residents
CROYDON IN CRISIS: The people running the borough, whether executive staff on sky-high salaries or elected councillors, have a well-earned reputation for failing to listen to the people they are supposed to serve. So why should residents expect any difference … Continue reading
Posted in Adult Social Care, Brick by Brick, Children's Services, Croydon Council, Hamida Ali, Katherine Kerswell, Libraries, Report in the Public Interest, Section 114 notice, SEND
Tagged Brick by Brick, Croydon, Croydon Council, Hamida Ali, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Report in the Public Interest, RIPI, S114, Section 114
17 Comments
Strange Cummings and goings as protests begin over library
CROYDON IN CRISIS: The battle has begun to save the borough’s libraries, under threat because of the council’s financial collapse. GENE BRODIE reports from yesterday’s well-attended protest in South Norwood More than 100 residents, including many parents with youngsters in … Continue reading
Posted in Clive Fraser, Croydon Council, Hamida Ali, Jane Avis, Libraries, Patsy Cummings, Paul Scott, Section 114 notice, South Norwood, Tony Newman, Woodside
Tagged Brick by Brick, Clive Fraser, Croydon, Croydon Council, Hamida Ali, Jane Avis, Labour, London, London Assembly, London Borough of Croydon, Patsy Cummings, Paul Scott, S114, Section 114, South Norwood, South Norwood Library, Tony Newman, Woodside
2 Comments
BxB-built library which has never opened is now to be closed
The story of South Norwood Library is just the latest example of how thoroughly screwed-up and costly the council’s relationship with its loss-making house-builders has become. GENE BRODIE, our bookish gyms correspondent, reports This could only happen in Croydon. The … Continue reading
Posted in Brick by Brick, Croydon Council, Education, Jane Avis, Libraries, Lisa Taylor, Oliver Lewis, Patsy Cummings, Paul Scott, Section 114 notice, South Norwood, Tony Newman, Woodside
Tagged Bradmore Green Library, Brick by Brick, Broad Green Library, Croydon, Croydon Central, Croydon Council, Jane Avis, London Borough of Croydon, Old Coulsdon, Oliver Lewis, Patsy Cummings, Paul Scott, Sanderstead Library, Sarah Jones MP, Shirley Library, South Norwood, South Norwood Library, Tony Newman
8 Comments
‘Mistakes will be made’ warn staff after latest round of cuts
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Libraries to close, refuse dumps to close, while elderly, disabled and mental health services are to be cut. Even buses for SEND schoolchildren face the axe. Yet the council’s ‘renewal plan’ will still spend £37m more in … Continue reading
Posted in Adult Social Care, Children's Services, Croydon Council, Hamida Ali, Katherine Kerswell, Libraries, Refuse collection, Sarah Hayward, Section 114 notice
Tagged Croydon, Croydon Council, Croydon Renewal Plan, Hamida Ali, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, S114, Sarah Hayward, Section 114
5 Comments
The cuts: Fisher’s Folly to be sold and 3-weekly bin collections
CROYDON IN CRISIS: The problem facing Croydon Council as it seeks to balance its books is that, after a decade of Tory austerity, there’s precious little left to cut. STEVEN DOWNES reports The frustration with the slow pace of progress … Continue reading
Posted in Adult Social Care, Alisa Flemming, Andrew Fisher, Children's Services, Croydon Council, Katherine Kerswell, Libraries, Lisa Taylor, Refuse collection, Report in the Public Interest, Schools, Section 114 notice, Timothy Godfrey
Tagged Alisa Flemming, Andrew Fisher, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, Lisa Taylor, London Borough of Croydon, S114, Section 114, Timothy Godfrey, Tory
11 Comments
Libraries Week, but not in Coulsdon, Purley, South Norwood…
“It’s Libraries Week!” declared a council-run Twitter account yesterday. The exciting range of services on offer included using something they called “eaudiobooks”, perhaps to listen to while in the bath? But it is not libraries week if you would usually … Continue reading
