Answers to questions asked by the Liberal Democrats reveal that the stated cost of works to Kilburn library has increased in the last 18 months from £117,360 to a staggering £650,000.

In November 2010 Brent Council told Liberal Democrat Group Leader Paul Lorber that the cost of repairs and maintenance to Kilburn Library over the next 20 years was £117,360 – less than any other library except Preston (£93,000) or Barham Park (£90,000).

After the Council recently announced a 4-month closure of Kilburn Library for repairs and refurbishment Councillor Lorber asked for an update. This time the embarrassed Labour Council had to admit that the cost would be £650,000 – a fivefold increase.

The Liberal Democrats are demanding to know why the Council did not make this figure public in 2010 when the future of Brent’s libraries was under discussion – especially as Labour Councillors claimed it was shortage of money which made them decide to close six popular local libraries.

Brondesbury Park Councillor Barry Cheese, who represents some of the residents affected by the closure of Kensal Rise library, said:

How can the Council give a figure of £117,000 one day and then decide it needs to spend £650,000 just 18 months later?

The closure of local libraries in Cricklewood, Kensal Rise, Barham, Preston, Neasden and Tokyngton could have been avoided if taxpayers money was used more efficiently.

Councillor Barry Cheese (second right) and other campaigners at the volunteer pop-up library outside Kensal Green library.

When Labour councillors closed Kensal Rise library they claimed that its many young users could use Kilburn library nearby. Local people are now very angry at being misled as Kilburn library will be closed for 16 weeks including the whole of the school summer holidays. As soon as Kilburn library re-opens in September, Willesden Green library is due to close for demolition and redevelopment. It is not due to open until just before the local elections in Spring 2014. This means that for most of the next two years Brent will have only five libraries. Prior to October 2011 it had twelve.

Lib Dem councillors are demanding that the council steps in to get Kensal Rise library reopened during the Kilburn Library closure. They support the Friends of Kensal Rise Library and their plan to operate a volunteer library from the historic 110 year old building in Bathurst Gardens.

Liberal Democrat campaigners including Cllr Paul Lorber, Afifa Pervez, Peter Corcoran and Valerie Brown.outside Wembley Central station before the improvements.

Brent’s Liberal Democrat Councillors have long campaigned for improvements to Wembley Central. Liberal Democrat transport spokesperson and Alperton councillor Daniel Brown, who has lobbied Network Rail and Transport for London on the issue, said:

At times it looked as if the badly needed improvements – particularly providing lifts to ensure step-free access for people with disabilities – would never happen. I’m pleased that the pressure has paid off and the lifts are in place in the nick of time before the Olympics. It’s just a shame that non-Olympic passengers have had to wait for so long.

The new lifts will help passengers with luggage and buggies as well as wheelchair users. Nearly 4.5 million passengers use the tube station each year.

Funding for the work was provided through the Coalition Government’s £370m Access for All programme.

Liberal Democrat council group leader Paul Lorber, who joined protestors outside the ransacked library, said:

This is a kick in the teeth for local residents, who have demonstrated their opposition to Labour’s library closure plan at every opportunity.

It would have been appropriate to pause the process until library campaigners had a chance to meet the new council leader, Muhammed Butt. Inevitably this will lead to speculation that Ann John and libraries portfolio holder James Powney wanted to empty the library and get rid of the building quickly to make any change in policy as difficult as possible.

Despite explicit assurances from All Souls College that it was open to the idea of members of the community providing library services at Kensal Rise library, Labour councillors have up to now been determined to see the end of book borrowing at Kensal Rise and rejected the well thought out bid from local residents to run the library at no cost to the council. Because of restrictions imposed when the land was donated, the building valued at £772,034 will transfer to All Souls College for free.

Sarah Teather MP and campaigners outside Kensal Rise Library before Labour’s closure.

Sarah Teather, Member of Parliament for Brent Central, has expressed her disappointment at Brent Council’s decision to clear Kensal Rise Library building of books and IT equipment today.

Commenting, Ms Teather said:

This is another sad day for Brent’s libraries. Campaigners have tried to work with officials to keep Kensal Rise library open, but have been ignored at every turn.

Labour leaders need to remember who they are supposed to be working for.  They must stop removing books immediately and talk to campaigners and local residents before it’s too late.

Councillor Butt has to get a grip of this matter if he wants to show that he can make a difference as Leader of the Council.

Kensal Rise library was erected on land provided by All Souls College Oxford using funds contributed by Willesden Urban District Council taxpayers, a donation from philanthropist Andrew Carnegie and public donations. The terms of the land transfer meant that the land could be used to provide libraries for ever for the benefit of local people.

The face at the top has changed but nine of the ten Executive members who made so many damaging decisions are still in place. If Councillor Butt wants to prove that things have changed he needs to act quickly to reverse Labour’s unpopular library closures and cuts to street cleaning.

Cllr Butt also has the opportunity to turn over a new leaf in the council’s dealings with its residents. I have written to him urging that, unlike Cllr John, he listens to the views of local people and takes rapid action to re-open closed libraries and improve our street-cleaning service.

Last Tuesday (8 May) Paul Lorber was re-elected as Liberal Democrat Group Leader with Cllr Daniel Brown (Alperton) as Deputy. The Liberal Democrats have the most experienced Leadership Team in place with Councillors Lorber and Brown having served local people on Brent Council for around 50 years between them.

Speaking about his re-election Councillor Lorber said:

Over the past two years the Liberal Democrats have consistently held Labour to account in Brent for the damaging effect its policies are having on local people and their areas – culminating in Liberal Democrat Alison Hopkins’s excellent by-election victory in Dollis Hill.

We will continue to represent local residents and fight for their interests in the face of a Labour administration that has turned a deaf ear to local people’s concerns.

Dear editor,

For many decades residents in Kensal Rise and Cricklewood have benefitted from the foresight of our ancestors, who built two libraries on land provided by All Souls College. The opening of Kensal Rise library by Mark Twain in 1900 and the opening of Cricklewood Library in 1929 were the results of Willesden Urban District Council and residents working together to raise the money required from local ratepayers, charitable donations and public subscriptions.

How sad that the achievements and good intentions of the past have been betrayed by today’s Labour councillors.

The two libraries are community assets which members of the community are willing to support by helping to run a library service in accordance with the conditions laid down when the land was gifted to local people. The council’s determination to frustrate these plans by getting rid of the land and buildings to All Souls College as soon as it could is a disgrace.

Labour’s spiteful refusal to work in partnership with local people will not be forgotten.

Yours faithfully,

Councillor Barry Cheese
Liberal Democrat councillor for Brondesbury Park

35 Hardinge Road
London
NW10 3PL

London Assembly candidates Caroline Pidgeon and Charlotte Henry show their support for Kensal Rise library campaigners.

Labour Leader Councillor Ann John and her Labour Executive have been accused of giving away two taxpayer paid for buildings worth £1.5 million without lifting a finger to prevent their loss.

The transfer of Kensal Rise Library and Cricklewood Library to All Souls College has deprived the local community of facilities valued at £1.5m by Brent Council officers. According to the report presented to the Executive on 15 November 2010 (section 4.2) Kensal Rise Library has a building market value of £772,034 and Cricklewood Library has a value of £724,765.

The buildings were erected on land provided by All Souls College Oxford using funds contributed by Willesden Urban District Council taxpayers, a donation from philanthropist Andrew Carnegie and public donations. The terms of the land transfer meant that local people could use the land to provide libraries for ever for the benefit of local people.

Despite explicit assurances from All Souls College that it was open to the idea of members of the community providing library services from the two buildings under the umbrella of Brent Council, the Labour councillors responsible for closing half of Brent’s libraries have been determined to see the end of book borrowing at Kensal Rise and Cricklewood.

Labour councillors rejected proposals to keep Cricklewood Library open and involve the community in running the service.

Labour councillors refused to respond positively to the well thought out bid from local residents to run their own Volunteer Library at no cost to the Council. As a result assets worth in excess of £1.5 million were lost to the Brent community and reverted back to All Souls College – not to mention the damage done to the community by the closure of the libraries.

The loss of these two buildings is massive blow to the people of Kensal Rise and Cricklewood and a massive financial loss to the Council. I wonder if the Labour Councillors would have given up so easily on buildings worth more than £1.5 million if it was their own money at stake?

said Liberal Democrat council group leader Paul Lorber.

This is yet another example of Labour’s waste. The council is still paying the £55,000 per year rent due on Neasden Library and the costs of rates and security at other empty library buildings in Brent.

ENDS

Liberal Democrat-controlled Cardiff is opening five new libraries and Portsmouth and Bristol are also opening new libraries.

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Party President, Tim Farron said:

While Conservatives and Labour councils cut their budgets without regard for the most vulnerable, Liberal Democrat-controlled councils know how to protect essential services.

Encouraging and enabling reading is vital to the development of children and adults alike. If we don’t give our children the opportunity to practice and perfect their reading skills at a young age, they will struggle to catch up later in life.

Cutting services like Labour and Tory councils are doing will do long-term damage. Liberal Democrats are doing the right thing thanks to our financial competency in the councils we run. That is also the reason why not only have Liberal Democrat councils kept libraries open, but councils in England have also frozen council tax and are most likely to be giving the lowest-paid council workers a pay rise.

 Brent Liberal Democrat Group Leader Paul Lorber added:

Libraries are a life-line for local communities – providing access to the internet and study space as well as books. Keeping libraries open was a priority when Liberal Democrats led Brent Council. Local residents won’t forget the damage that Brent’s Labour councillors have done.

A list of library closures is below:

Council        Party    Closures
Leeds          Lab      13
Brent          Lab       6
Bolton         Lab       5
Warwickshire   Con       3
Doncaster      Ind       2
Flintshire     Ind       2
Hartlepool     Lab/Ind   2
Manchester     Lab       2
Waltham Forest Lab       1
Barnet         Con       1
Bradford       Lab       1
Cumbria        Con/Lab   1
Lambeth        Lab       1
Lewisham       Lab       1
North Somerset Con       1
Shropshire     Con       1
Westminster    Con       1

According to the Office of National Statistics, only 77% of households had access to the internet in 2011. Nearly a third of those without internet access, stated that the reason was that access or equipment costs were too high.

All Liberal Democrat Councils in England have frozen their Council Tax and, according to the Local Government Chronicle, Liberal Democrat-run councils were more than twice as likely to give the lowest paid workers a pay rise compared to Labour, and five times more likely than Conservative run councils.

The reduction in the number of active library borrowers is especially marked. In March 2011, nearly one in five of Brent’s population (19%) were active library borrowers. This figure has now plummeted to 14% meaning that Labour’s closure plan appears to have led to the council losing a quarter of its active borrowers in less than a year. 

As the table published by the council shows (above) the number of library visits per 100,000 population was 6,660 in 2010/11 but only 4,606 three-quarters of the way through 2011/12 against the current target of 4834, so the indicator has been given an amber (below the level of expected performance but within tolerance of the target) status by the council. If current trends continue there will be just over 6,100 library visits per 100,000 population by the end of the year – a big drop compared to before Labour’s library closures.

Row 2 shows active library borrowers as a percentage of the population was 18.6% in March 2011, dropping to 13.81% in December 2011 against a target of 16.4%. This indicator has been given a red status by the council, suggesting that council managers do not expect to reach the target (which had already been set as a level less than that achieved the previous year). 

The figures are in line with library visit figures released by the council that show on average there are now around 20,000 fewer library visits in Brent each month following the closure of Barham Park, Cricklewood, Kensal Rise, Neasden, Preston and Tokyngton libraries.

Brent Liberal Democrat Leader Paul Lorber said:

These are shocking and saddening statistics – and exactly what was predicted by everyone in the Brent Save Our Libraries campaign.

The only positive point is that Brent has not disposed of any of the old libraries. It’s still not too late for Labour councillors to listen to local people, end their intransigence and start planning the re-opening of our vacant libraries.

Dear Editor,

I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to all those in Dollis Hill who voted for me to be their new councillor at last week’s by-election. Having lived in Dollis Hill all my life, it is such an honour to represent my community on Brent Council. It is a real responsibility to be elected to serve my fellow Dollis Hill residents and I take it very seriously. I would also like to thank all those who helped me to win here.

During the election campaign I spoke to many people who are disillusioned and fed up with the decisions that Brent Council’s Labour administration is taking. Whether the issue is the closure of half of our libraries or the rubbish on the streets, there is an overwhelming impression that Labour is no longer interested in listening to what ordinary residents have to say.

 I am determined to be a councillor for everyone in Dollis Hill, not just those who voted for me. Along with my fellow Liberal Democrat councillors Javaid Ashraf and Jack Beck, I will be on the side of Dollis Hill residents. I will work to represent their concerns and will continue to fight for cleaner streets, to save our school crossing patrols and to cut waste not services at Brent Council.

Yours faithfully,

Alison Hopkins
Liberal Democrat councillor for Dollis Hill

Dollis Hill residents can contact Councillor Alison Hopkins by email at Cllr.Alison.Hopkins@brent.gov.uk, by phone on 07917 717797 or by post at  9 Humber Road, London, NW2 6EH.

Along with Cllr Javaid Ashraf and Cllr Jack Beck, Alison holds a regular surgery for residents on the 1st Saturday of each month from 11am to 12 noon at Comber Close Community Hall, Comber Close, Dollis Hill, NW2 7EG.

The scheme has been quietly abandoned by Brent’s Labour-run council, despite the fact that the streets are dirtier than ever following Labour’s street cleaning cuts.

There has been no public announcement of the end of the scheme. Indeed the StreetWatcher webpage at www.brent.gov.uk/streetcare2.nsf/pages/lbb-120 was advertising for new streetwatchers as recently as Tuesday 20 March and was only taken down after the Liberal Democrats expressed our concerns.

Councillor Gavin Sneddon, who represents Willesden Green, discovered the scheme had ended after being contacted by a local resident keen to take part because of her concern about the state of local streets.

Cllr Ann Hunter and Cllr Gavin Sneddon

He said:

The council can get more done with the help and participation of local volunteers than it can do alone. Streets in Willesden Green and across the borough are crying out for a bit more care and attention. The council has abandoned its eyes and ears in the community. This is an admission that Labour’s street cleaning cuts have left the council unable to keep our borough clean.

Councillor Daniel Brown, who was responsible for the StreetWatchers scheme when the Liberal Democrats ran the council and helped the scheme celebrate its tenth anniversary in 2009, said:

For twelve years the StreetWatchers scheme has helped the council identify problems and respond to them. Labour’s street cleaning cuts mean that rubbish is being left lying in our streets for ever-longer periods. It’s time for the serious action plan which the Liberal Democrats have been calling for. This will put right the mistakes that the Labour administration has made.

Councillor Daniel Brown (brown jacket) and streetwatcher volunteers celebrate the 10th anniversary of the popular streetwatcher scheme