Having considered an officer report, and presentations by Mr Peter
Richardson (Friends of Manor House Library) and by the Cabinet Member for
Health, Well-Being & Older People, Councillor Chris Best, the Mayor agreed
that
(1) V22 be approved as the preferred partner for Forest Hill and authority be
delegated to the Executive Director for Regeneration, in consultation with the
Executive Director for Community Services and the Head of Law, to negotiate
the terms of a lease for the Forest Hill Library building with V22 for a minimum
term of 25 years at a nil rent to enable the provision of a community library in
partnership with Lewisham Council;
(2) The Archibald Corbett Society working with the Corbett Residents
Association be approved as the preferred partners for Torridon Road Library
building and authority be delegated to the Executive Director for Community
Services to negotiate the terms of a premises management agreement for an
interim period whilst their business plan for the building is further developed in
order to be considered for a lease;
(3) Officers be instructed to carry out a further exercise, to identify a suitable
partner organisation for Manor House Library and that interim arrangements
for the management of the building be put in place, as described;
(4) an update on progress of the exercise for Manor House Library be
reported to Safer Stronger Select Committee in September 2016 and the
final outcome be reported back to Mayor and Cabinet for approval;
(5) the proposed arrangement for the provision of library services in Laurence
House, Catford be noted;
(6) the Executive Director for Community Services be asked to prepare a
response to the referral from the Safer Stronger Communities Select
Committee on the Library Savings Programme Update; and
(7) the Executive Director for Community Services be asked to prepare a
response to the referral from the Safer Stronger Communities Select
Committee on DBS checks for library staff.