Consultation on Future of Libraries and Children’s Centres
Havering Council has launched two consultations, asking residents for their views on the way the borough’s libraries and children’s centre services should be delivered in the future. The Council has also begun to consult on whether so-called ‘community hubs’ could work in Havering.
During the consultation, residents will be asked to consider a proposal to keep all ten of the borough’s libraries open as part of the statutory library service, but five of these libraries – Collier Row, Elm Park, Gidea Park, Harold Wood and South Hornchurch, would become council-supported but community-run libraries.
The consultation proposes to move children’s centre activities and services to different community venues such as schools, early years’ settings and community spaces, as well as the three current largest children’s centres in the borough.
Public meetings will be held at every library and children’s centre to discuss the proposals with residents and service users. The nearest consultation to us will be in Upminster Library on Wednesday 24 July from 6.30pm-8pm.
Full details of the consultation and all of the public meeting dates can be see on this link. The consultation will close on Wednesday, 18 September.
I attended the first public meeting at Harold Wood Library last month which was crammed to capacity. It was badly publicised and badly organised. We heard about it by word of mouth. Everyone seemed very unhappy about what was said. The presentation from the Council’s rep was difficult to hear as there was no amplification but he did say he had only been in post 4 months and had little local knowledge! He took questions from the floor but didn’t repeat them so no-one knew what the question was.. Need I say more. Although small, we value our library in Harold Wood and do not want it to close , nor the staff to lose their posts.