Agenda item

Having considered an officer report, and presentations by the Cabinet

Member for Resources, Councillor Kevin Bonavia and the Cabinet

Member for Health, Well Being and Older People, Councillor Chris Best

and 5 members of the public and a Ward Councillor on the library

proposals, the Mayor agreed that:

 

(1) the actions taken since the 30 September on the proposals

presented insection 7 and set out in Appendices i to viii be noted;

 

(2) For saving L6 – Libraries and Information Services the

recommendations set out in the separate full report and appendices at

Appendix i be approved; namely:

 

the results of the consultation set out in sections 6 and 7of the report

and in appendix 1 be noted;

 

the proposed saving of £1million from the Library and Information

Service budget be approved;

 

the retention of three hub libraries at Deptford Lounge,

Lewisham and Downham Health and Leisure Centre as set out at

paragraph 5.1 be approved;

 

 the Lewisham Community Library model as described in paragraph

5.1 be extended to Forest Hill, Torridon and Manor House libraries and

for a formal tender process to be undertaken to identify partner

organisations to work with the council to deliver this. The council will

work with local stakeholders as part of this process;

 

the development of detailed plans for the reconfiguration of the

library and public reception area at the ground floor of Laurence House

inCatford as set out at para 5.1 and 6.10 be approved;

 

(3) For saving Q3 a, b, c & e – Sensory teachers, education

psychologists, and carers funding;

 

(a) any feedback from the scrutiny process since September be noted,

 

(b) the proposal be approved and the Executive Director for Children’s

& Young People be authorised to implement, subject to completion of

any consultation (public, stakeholder or staff) necessary in relation to

the proposal.

 

(4) For saving Q5 – Youth Service

 

(a) the Mayor’s agreement to take £1.4m in February 2015 and any

feedback from the scrutiny process since September be noted;

 

(b) subject to agreement to the recommendations in the separate

report on

the Youth Service mutual appearing on the same agenda; agree the

proposal to taper funding by £0.3m and authorise the Executive

Director for Children’s & Young People to implement, subject to

completion of any consultation (public, stakeholder or staff) necessary

in relation to the proposal;

 

(5) For saving A11 – Managing and improving transition plans

 

(a) any feedback from the scrutiny process since September be noted;

 

(b) the proposal be approved and the Executive Director for

Community Services be authorised to implement, subject to completion

of any consultation (public, stakeholder or staff) necessary in relation to

the proposal.

 

(6) For saving A14 – Achieving best value in care packages

 

(a) any feedback from the scrutiny process since September be noted;

 

(b) the proposal be approved and the Executive Director for

Community Services be authorised to implement, subject to completion

of any consultation (public, stakeholder or staff) necessary in relation to

the proposal.

 

(7) For saving I9b – Trade Union secondments

 

(a) the results of engagement work undertaken by officers since

September be noted;

 

(b) the proposal be approved  and the Executive Director for

Resources & Regeneration be authorised  to implement, subject to

completion of any consultation (public, stakeholder or staff) necessary

in relation to the proposal.

 

(8) For saving J2b – Attendance and Welfare

 

(a) any feedback from the scrutiny process since September be noted;

 

(b) the proposal be approved and the Executive Director for Children’s

& Young People be authorised  to implement, subject to completion of

any consultation (public, stakeholder or staff) necessary in relation to

the proposal.

 

(9) For saving N5 – Passenger transport services

 

(a) any feedback from the scrutiny process since September be noted;

 

(b) the Executive Director for Customer Services be asked to develop,

Consult (public, stakeholder or staff) where necessary, and bring back

a full report to Mayor & Cabinet in relation to the proposal.

 

(10) consistent with the Mayoral decisions of the 30 September, work

continues on the proposals listed at 6.4 and should return to Mayor &

Cabinet.

The report was introduced by Councillor Kevin Bonavia who outlined

the overall enormous financial pressures the Council continued to face

and he explained how the measures announced in the government’s

Comprehensive Spending Review would not offer any relief.

 

The Executive Director for Resources and Regeneration’s

representative reported no new proposals were being made and the list

of savings were as those advised to the September meeting of Mayor

& Cabinet.

 

Councillor Chris Best introduced the libraries element of the savings

report and said the very detailed report illustrated the value which the

authority continued to place on libraries. She pointed out the feedback

received from extensive consultation had led to modifications of the

original proposals.

 

The Executive Director for Community Services acknowledged that the

overwhelming majority of consultation responses opposed change but

she believed that the amended proposals presented an evolutionary

offer within a diminished financial envelope and would remain

attractive to users.

 

Peter Richardson spoke on behalf of the users and friends of Manor

House Library and drew the Mayor’s attention to the high levels of

feedback which had been received opposing change. He claimed the

existing community library model was not a success, with book issues

in such libraries plummeting since their creation.

 

Sue Widnall made a presentation calling for the retention of Catford

Library and expressed severe reservations about the proposed

integration of the library with other ground floor services in Laurence

House. She perceived a general decline of facilities in Catford and

urged the Mayor to ensure a library at the base of the Town Hall

remained a source of civic pride.

 

Peter Ridpath of the Defend Torridon Library campaign urged the

Mayor to withdraw all the proposals. He believed the results of the

consultation and the overwhelming opposition had been ignored and

that a library facility without professional staffing would not work.

 

Michael Abrahams the Chair of the Forest Hill Society, said community

libraries had been an interesting experiment but figures seemed to

show massive reductions in book borrowing. He suggested that the

Mayor consider the option in paragraph 7.6 to deploy some volunteers

in every library so that professional support could be maintained in the

libraries proposed for reorganisation.

 

Councillor Jim Mallory tabled a paper for the Mayor and cabinet reporting that

Lee Green Assembly had agreed to set up a Manor House Working Group to

respond to the Council’s proposal to convert some of its libraries and

specifically Manor House Library, into a community library. Councillor

Mallory further reported the first meeting of the Group agreed to sustain and

enhance Manor House as a viable community facility that would include a

trained library resource. The Group hoped to meet with officers in the New

Year with a view to ensuring Assembly input to the contract specification and

monitoring conditions.

 

Tim Parkin of UNISON stated he believed Government cuts were the sole

driver for the library proposals and regarded the community library model as

inferior, as evidenced by a 74% fall in book borrowing. He called on

Councillors to take a robust stand against all cuts.

 

The Executive Director for Community Services pointed out to the Mayor that

all community library volunteers received training by the Council and that book

issues were down by 24% which was in line with national trends. She further

stated overall visitor numbers to community libraries were up which went

against national trends.

 

Councillor Millbank, the Cabinet Member for the Third Sector, said it was

unfair to say community libraries were not a success, especially as their offer

was different to traditional libraries. She believed that both models were able

to offer good levels of service.

 

In conclusion, the Mayor thanked everyone for their contributions and

stressed his continuing appreciation of the library service.The Mayor went on

to point out the dilemmas posed by the current Local Government Funding

regime. Essentially there were three pots of money, one reserved for Housing,

one reserved for Education and a third which was for everything else but was

increasingly becoming dominated by the requirements for Adult Social Care.

The Mayor observed that the cuts imposed by Central Government created

enormous stresses on all Council budgets and that if he failed to act on

libraries now, he feared they would otherwise have to be closed in their

entirety in a few years time. The Mayor went onto state different choices could

have been made in different circumstances but that only the best available

decisions had been taken.

 

The Mayor then went onto consider each savings proposal individually and

reached the conclusions shown in the recommendations shown below. In his

consideration of saving L6, the Mayor stated he believed Catford Library was

different to other libraries as it was at the civic heart of the borough and that

he still needed to be convinced that the proposed different style of working

would be effective. He said there was a huge amount of work still to be done

and he expected to return to the issue for further consideration.

 

Having considered an officer report, and presentations by the Cabinet

Member for Resources, Councillor Kevin Bonavia and from the Cabinet

Member for Health, Well Being and Older People, Councillor Chris Best

and 5 members of the public and a Ward Councillor on the library

proposals, the Mayor from the options available, for the reasons set out in the

report:

 

RESOLVED that:

 

(1) the actions taken since the 30 September on the proposals

presented in section 7 and set out in Appendices i to viii be noted;

 

(2) For saving L6 – Libraries and Information Services the

recommendations set out in the separate full report and appendices at

Appendix 1 be approved; namely:

 

the results of the consultation set out in sections 6 and 7of the report

and in appendix 1 be noted;

 

the proposed saving of £1million from the Library and Information

Service budget be approved;

 

the retention of three hub libraries at Deptford Lounge, Lewisham and

Downham Health and Leisure Centre as set out at paragraph 5.1 be

approved;

 

 the Lewisham Community Library model as described in paragraph

5.1 be extended to Forest Hill, Torridon and Manor House libraries and

for a formal tender process to be undertaken to identify partner

organisations to work with the council to deliver this. The council will

work with local stakeholders as part of this process;

 

the development of detailed plans for the reconfiguration of the

library and public reception area at the ground floor of Laurence House

inCatford as set out at para 5.1 and 6.10 be approved;

 

(3) For saving Q3 a, b, c & e – Sensory teachers, education psychologists,

and carers funding;

 

(a) any feedback from the scrutiny process since September be noted,

 

(b) the proposal be approved and the Executive Director for Children’s

& Young People be authorised to implement, subject to completion of

any consultation (public, stakeholder or staff) necessary in relation to

the proposal.

 

(4) For saving Q5 – Youth Service

 

(a) the Mayor’s agreement to take £1.4m in February 2015 and any

feedback from the scrutiny process since September be noted;

 

(b) subject to agreement to the recommendations in the separate

report on the Youth Service mutual appearing on the same agenda; agree the

proposal to taper funding by £0.3m and authorise the Executive

Director for Children’s & Young People to implement, subject to

completion of any consultation (public, stakeholder or staff) necessary

in relation to the proposal;

 

(5) For saving A11 – Managing and improving transition plans

 

(a) any feedback from the scrutiny process since September be noted;

 

(b) the proposal be approved and the Executive Director for

Community Services be authorised to implement, subject to completion

of any consultation (public, stakeholder or staff) necessary in relation to

the proposal.

 

(6) For saving A14 – Achieving best value in care packages

 

(a) any feedback from the scrutiny process since September be noted;

 

(b) the proposal be approved and the Executive Director for

Community Services be authorised to implement, subject to completion

of any consultation (public, stakeholder or staff) necessary in relation to

the proposal.

 

(7) For saving I9b – Trade Union secondments

 

(a) the results of engagement work undertaken by officers since

September be noted;

 

(b) the proposal be approved  and the Executive Director for

Resources & Regeneration be authorised  to implement, subject to

completion of any consultation (public, stakeholder or staff) necessary

in relation to the proposal.

 

(8) For saving J2b – Attendance and Welfare

 

(a) any feedback from the scrutiny process since September be noted;

 

(b) the proposal be approved and the Executive Director for Children’s

& Young People be authorised  to implement, subject to completion of

any consultation (public, stakeholder or staff) necessary in relation to

the proposal.

 

(9) For saving N5 – Passenger transport services

 

(a) any feedback from the scrutiny process since September be noted;

 

(b) the Executive Director for Customer Services be asked to develop,

Consult (public, stakeholder or staff) where necessary, and bring back

a full report to Mayor & Cabinet in relation to the proposal.

 

(10) consistent with the Mayoral decisions of the 30 September, work

continues on the proposals listed at 6.4 and should return to Mayor &

Cabinet.