QUOTES FROM THE MEETING….
Christina Burnett, who heads Vauxhall CIC, a local community interest company, on Tate South Lambeth: “If Henry Tate had wanted to give our libraries to the people of Greenwich he would have done so.
Adrian Smith, director, strategy and commissioning neighbourhoods, referring to the planned gyms at Carnegie, Minet and Tate Lambeth South: “We include a range of concessions for people on out of work benefits.”
Adrian Smith: “We would expect to engage with local groups.” (Jeers of derision).
Adrian Smith: “Our view would be the consultation process was robust.” “Rubbish” yelled one person.
Cllr Jane Edbrooke: “No-one here is not saying this is a really difficult decision. “These are the deepest cuts since the Second World War and if we’re not all in this together….” Jeers.
….AND OTHER POINTS FROM THE REPORT
Page 25: In response to the idea of spreading the available budget across the existing 10 libraries: “We don’t feel this would provide a comprehensive library service across the borough.”
Page 27: In response to a UNISON comment that “We oppose the idea that unstaffed book collections can represent a library: “Noted. “The report recommends a revised Lambeth library standards which concentrates services where the vast majority of residents access the service and provides self-service points at five static neighbourhood service points.”
Page 61:“In declaring a decision unlawful because it is unreasonable, the courts would need to decide that the decision is so outrageous in its defiance of logic or accepted moral standards it is a decision that no sensible authority which had applied its mind to the decision could have arrived at it.”