Croydon Labour: | Tory Council rips up 111-year-old library agreement

Tory Council rips up 111-year-old library agreement

On Friday the Leader of Croydon’s Conservative Council Cllr Fisher, in an act of cultural vandalism and a fit of temper, ordered the Chief Executive of Croydon Council to put in jeopardy the entire future of Upper Norwood Joint Library (UNJL). Uniquely, the UNJL, which sits on the Lambeth border, is the only library in the country to receive joint funding from two separate local authorities. Having already threatened to privatise every library in Croydon, Fisher launched an unprecedented attack and targeted the historic UNJL and local people by threatening its immediate future.

Leader of the Croydon Labour Group Tony Newman said:

“Councillor Fisher is holding a gun to the head of UNJL and holding every library in Croydon hostage. In his refusal to allow locally democratically elected Labour Councillors in Upper & South Norwood, to sit in the UNJL Committee as has been the practice, regardless of political control. Despite 20,000 people signing petitions and marching against Cllr Fisher’s plans and in a move that has even horrified other Tory Councillors, Cllr Fisher seems to be prepared to see the future of UNJL threatened and is hell bent on selling off all of Croydon’s libraries.”

Councillor Tony Newman added: “I am joining with Lambeth Council Leader, Cllr Steve Reed in demanding that Croydon’s Conservative Council sit down immediately with Lambeth and seek a solution that puts the UNJL before Cllr Fisher’s ego.”

Upper Norwood Councillor Pat Ryan said:

“This is an unprecedented attacked on local democracy and has caused outrage in the community. Councillor Fisher has completely abused his power, trampling over the wishes of local people. It is clear to me and everyone in Upper & South Norwood that Cllr Fisher is scared to listen to local people and is on the run”.