Putting Croydon First

Labour: fighting for you across Croydon

Tories force sale of all public libraries in Croydon

At the Cabinet meeting on Monday evening, Croydon’s Conservatives voted through a report which ignores the thousands of residents who have been fighting to save their local library. All of Croydon’s public libraries will be sold to the private sector for a minimum of £250,000. The Tory council has been determined to privatise every library in the Borough since this process began.

Labour Leader, Councillor Tony Newman said:

“Over the last year six libraries in Croydon have been threatened with closure by this Tory council. What has now been decided is a dramatic turn for the worse and a slap in the face to the thousands of residents who took the trouble to respond to the original consultation. By inviting private bidders, including property developer John Laing, to buy up our libraries we now face a far more damaging threat as the future of every single library in Croydon is now at risk.”

Labour spokesperson for libraries, Councillor Maggie Mansell said:

“I was given assurances by the Tory Leader of the Council which are now proven to be worthless. His own Cabinet Member for Libraries, Cllr Sara Bashford has now publicly admitted there is no guarantee that any of our libraries have a long term future once they have been handed over to the private sector".