Osidge Library to close, be demolished and the land leased for social housing. The link to the budget papers are here http://committeepapers.barnet.gov.uk/democracy/meetings/meetingdetail.asp?meetingid=6574 - tucked away at the back are a list of proposals that the report states Officers are actively working on. - Click on Complete Agenda and report pack. The mark of Robert Rams - flog it off and build more rabbit hutches on the site. It may amuse you to know that this "idea" supposedly came from a Barnet resident on the Barnet Ideas site - you know the one Mrs Angry exposed as having planted suggestions
"Close Osidge library - One of the more underused libraries in the borough and relatively close to East Barnet and Friern Barnet libraries. With the loss of the redevelopment, it is not an efficient use of scarce library cash in the current climate. Expensive to adapt with modern equipment e.g. RFID machines, lifts to be DDA compliant, wi-fi and expensive to run, with major remedial works needed both generally and in order to bring it up to modern energy efficiency standards. Lease the land for housing and invest to maintain the rest of the library service."
I think Mrs Angry is right that this is planted.
ReplyDeleteIsn't is strange that the 'winning' idea (from the Barnet Bugle) to cap Councillor allowances at £1,000 a year, isn't even analysed but this idea is fully analysed and not dismissed.
If Lynne Hillan, the ward councillor, wanted this idea buried it wouldn't have appeared in the papers - just as the Bugle's didn't.
If the response to the consultation is weak they will say people want it closed.
I'll be looking forward to seeing Roger with his thermos and woolly hat at Osidge Library!
At least Mr Reasonable reports on his blog that he was allowed to speak at the Scrutiny Committee, after all.
ReplyDeleteApparently, "Cllr. Thomas made the point that Museums were a 'nice to have' and that it didn't necessarily need a building to house the exhibits; they could be spread around the borough."
There are many people who wouldn't mind terribly if Cllr. Thomas found himself "spread around the borough", instead.
Well, well, what an extraordinary coincidence ... how on earth did that happen?
ReplyDeleteThe cynicism and decadence of this Tory administration truly sickens me.
The campaign now has a focal point. The first library to be protected by the public. Have you got any background information about this library ? e.g Year Opened and how many people it serves ? and perhaps it would be good to find a regular user who is prepared to give some "quotes" ASAP in order to head off this closure and give any campaign a chance to succeed.
ReplyDeleteThere are thousands who have signed the petition against this and just ONE person who has posted ( perhaps ) on a website. Therefore our odds are good.
Four of the top five suggestions as defined by the number of votes have been ignored. Close Osidge Library got 8 votes, and which may have also included one star votes i.e. a negative vote, gets used. The whole process is a complete sham!
ReplyDeleteOsidge Library is here.
ReplyDeleteYou can, of course, meet your ward councillors in Osidge Library on the second and last Saturday of every month. That's friendly Lynne Hillan, brutal Andreas Tambourides, and indecisive Lisa Rutter.
ReplyDeleteAnd when the library closes? Ah, then they borrow Mike Freer's Votemobile, and sit in it outside.
An FOI request should sort out who posted the idea initially and whether the votes were positive or not.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting that the auther of that comment uses the technical term RFID, which most people wouldn't be familiar with.
ReplyDeleteYes there are quite a few such "odd" things on the ideas website
ReplyDelete