LAMBETH UNDER FIRE – THREE: CARNEGIE LIBRARY CAMPAIGNERS OPEN LETTER TO COUNCILLORS
Campaigners fighting to keep the Carnegie library at Herne Hill for what it was originally intended have sent an open letter to councillors ahead of next week’s planning committee meeting.
The letter from campaign group Defend the Ten says:
Dear Councillor
February 7th is the date when LBL’s (London borough of Lambeth’s) planning committee considers the scheme to wreck the listed Carnegie Library building by installing a fee-charging gym that nobody wants or needs.
OPPOSITION TO THE PLAN IS OVERWHELMING.
IF THIS CRAZY IDEA GOES THROUGH, YOU MUST EXPECT YET MORE PROTESTS AND BAD PUBLICITY… RIGHT UP TO THE ELECTION IN 2018.
You have processed painful cuts into the new budget. You have scraped up £4.6m in the short term to ease the pain to residents, as the cuts have been cynically front-loaded by central government.
YET YOU ARE SET TO BLOW A MASSIVE £4 MILLION – ON JUST TWO GYMS THAT NOBODY WANTS!
LBL’s strategy for physical activity specifically states that extra gym provision is NOT needed in the deprived areas once served by Carnegie and Minet libraries. And you’ll be aware that local people have campaigned unceasingly against it.
LBL CAN’T AFFORD THIS HUGE SUM.
AND IT CAN’T AFFORD TO CONTINUE ANTAGONISING RESIDENTS IN THE RUN-UP TO THE 2018 ELECTIONS.
Please – give us all – and yourselves – a break.
JUNK THE GYMS!
In a separate statement Defend the Ten say:
The council intends to grant planning permission for their scandalously expensive project with leisure contractor GLL which will give the go ahead to destroy our much loved and used public library and it’s garden and trees with a pay-to-use gym and an unstaffed book collection.
There is huge opposition from library users and the local community, which included our 10 day occupation when the council shut Carnegie and Minet libraries, but the council isn’t listening.
This is despite the fact that this destructive plan will actually entail spending millions and that there is an alternative!
Carnegie Library users and locals have submitted objections to the application, now we need to make our voices heard again!!
Come and join us to show the council that we are determined to protect our libraries and the service we need so badly! Protest at the planning meeting!! We want our library back – not a gym!!!