REVEALED: Actual Library Closure Costs

In a report to the Places Committee on February 3rd, Council Officers revealed that the proposed closure of three Havering libraries may result in just half the planned saving. This move may put other library services at risk.

The Places Committee is a cross-party group that consists of Councillors from the HRA, Conservatives, Labour, and the East Havering Resident's Group. It is set up to scrutinise council reports on areas such as housing, roads, and parks. With the HRA Cabinet due to vote for library closures on February 5th, the Committee decided that they wanted to review the report first and make recommendations.

Following over two hours of scrutiny, the committee unanimously agreed that the Cabinet should postpone the closure until more information is available.

Details in the report show that Havering Council is likely to fall short of the expected £300k saving budgeted for. I believe that this will put future library services at risk.

THE ACTUAL SAVING

Closing the libraries was the HRA plan to save £300k, following a £50m deficit in Havering's finances from over a decade of underfunding from the government.

Many have stated that this is a drop in the ocean and a small amount to save for something that will impact a large number of residents.

However, I can reveal that the saving is likely to be around just £161k.

The £300k saving was supposed to be achieved by reducing running costs, such as staffing and energy bills. However, shutting a library doesn't mean it suddenly has no costs. As we have seen with empty shops in Romford, abandoned buildings can attract anti-social behaviour. One empty retail unit, close to Romford Market, was even found to have been operating as a cannabis factory!

Therefore, the closed libraries will require security and utilities like water and gas to be 'capped off'.

According to the council's report, this will cost around £40k for each of the three libraries proposed for closure.

A snip of the council report, showing the cost of maintaining the empty libraries.

PUTTING OTHER SERVICES AT RISK

Under scrutiny from the Committee, Council Officers explained that they were not saying they want to close the libraries. However, they had to propose this as the HRA had budgeted for £300k of savings in the library budget.

Falling short of that target, and saving just £161k, could leave the libraries team having to find yet more savings.

Will the HRA turn their focus onto other small libraries, such as Collier Row?

HOW TO AVOID THIS

The report is clear, the HRA have to carefully consider the timing of the closure.

Many empty buildings are rented out in what is known as 'meanwhile use'. This is where a landlord will give the space to a community group or charity, often at a heavily discounted rate, in order to keep the buildings from being abandoned and vandalised.

Some security companies that manage empty buildings even rent them out to young people looking for affordable housing. There are bizarre yet fun stories of young people living in abandoned schools and enjoying it.

The Committee recommended to the HRA Cabinet that they delay the closure of the three libraries, as more information on costs etc. needs to be provided. Given the above revelation, this needs to be seriously considered.

In Harold Wood, for example, local residents have formed a 'Friends Of' group who are fundraising to run their library on a voluntary basis. If the HRA vote to close the libraries, they will be shut in April, giving groups like the one in Harold Wood very little time to raise the funds they need.

This will result in £40k of security and maintenance costs, dramatically reducing the saving. Postponing the closure, so the building can be operated by a community group, will prevent those £40k of costs.

People are already upset that we will lose something so important for such a small gain. That gain could be half what we were expecting, making it even more painful to stomach.

Along with Councillors from across Havering's political parties, I am asking the Cabinet to pause the closure and give the community time to find alternative uses for those spaces.

We're desperately short of youth spaces and places for art in Romford. I'm sure these libraries would prove excellent for those.

If they can't be kept as libraries.