Residents rally outside town hall against £1m cuts to library budget

Campaigners and trade union members rallied outside Lambeth town hall yesterday to protest against plans to cut the budget for libraries by £1million.

Lambeth UNISON and Friends of Lambeth Libraries took to the street outside Lambeth council’s building in Brixton Hill, holding T-shirts with printed messages reading “Don’t Steal Our Libraries, Lambeth”.

Inside the Town Hall, cabinet members met to discuss the council’s budget paper, which aims to save the required £99million in the next four years to stabilize its finances.

Measures include shaving £1million from library funding across the borough, almost a quarter of the £4.7million current budget for the service.

During the meeting, Cllr Donatus Anyanwu assured attendees that “none of the libraries are going to close”. He said: “There is no need to say we will use the council’s budget in a way we don’t need it.

“After 14 years of cuts we still maintained our library services. I do not want anybody saying the library is in danger, they are not. We want to maintain the quality of service and improve the quality of service without wastage.”

But campaigners described the plan as “scandalous”, saying it would “wreck the service.”

Laura Swaffield,  77, of Crewdson Road, who attended the cabinet meeting, said: “A cut on this insane scale cannot fail to inflict huge damage to an essential frontline service.”

Ms Swaffield, chairwoman of the national Library Campaign, urged the council to recognise the broad spectrum of services libraries provide, from debt advice to support for refugees and safe spaces for domestic violence victims.

She said: “They don’t just do books. Libraries are a space for old, poor and vulnerable people, a godsend to young parents and a space for schoolchildren from over-crowded homes.

“Frontline staff help and advise on a host of problems that would otherwise fall to social services, the NHS, schools, the housing department and many more agencies.

“The libraries and archives provide just about all that Lambeth has to offer in terms of art galleries and museums.”

Lambeth’s libraries were recently awarded Library of Sanctuary status for their support to refugees and are shotlisted for the British Book Awards Library of the Year final. 

Ben Rymer, 45, of South Lambeth Road, said he felt “anger and frustration” on hearing news of the cuts.

He said: “Public libraries were incredibly important for me growing up. Home life was pretty chaotic, and the library was a safe place to spend time. Later on, in my twenties the library was where I got the skills to change career. 

“Our libraries are critical, but successive administrations have starved them of proper funding.”

Mr Rymer said cutting libraries funding would mean “a worse start in life for many children”.

He said: “There’s already kids sitting on the floor to study most weekends at Brixton library. 

“Anyone in favour of cuts should go and explain to them why it’s the right thing to do. We need an expanded library service, not a reduced one.”

The budget paper, published yesterday, said the local authority’s “perilous financial future” had been caused by fourteen years of austerity policies by the national government, as well as an unprecedented rise in demand and costs for services.

A council spokesman said: “Lambeth’s core spending in real terms is around 20 percent lower than in 2010, which means the council is forced to deliver more, with less. We have been open with residents in saying that this will inevitably have an impact on the services people rely on.

“Despite this, we have consistently made significant investments that will ensure our libraries remain fit for the future.”

But, Mr Rymer said “determined efforts” must be taken to reduce or eliminate waste and mis-spending, especially in housing major works. 

He said: “The town hall renovation and Homes for Lambeth have cost many, many millions. That money would be a huge help now.”

The budget will be considered on March 5, at Budget Council.

A Lambeth council spokesman said: “There are no plans to close any libraries or reduce opening hours. But, the council faces significant budget challenges that need to be addressed.

“Our libraries will continue to hold events that celebrate our borough’s cultural identity, such as Black History Month and the Windrush exhibition, serving the needs of our communities and inspiring a more inclusive and understanding environment for everyone.

“Our libraries are at the heart of Lambeth’s communities, and we will continue to invest in them.”

Pictured top: Campaingers outside Lambeth town hall yesterday ahead of the cabinet meeting (Picture: Laura Swaffield)